Gunsmith Cats: Bulletproof Heart
by Jonah Mark
Summary: A link to both of her parent's death, Rally Vincent digs deep into the recent case that has sprung up. Meeting new friends along the way, Rally must learn to open up her heart and learn to love again. (Major Editing Occuring Soon) TWO NEW CHAPTERS!
1. Blind Date

Episode One  
Blind Date  
  
Scattered trash tumbled along the street as the violent wind blew through the Windy City that day. A white sheet of paper twirled and looped in the wind then found its resting-place at the doorstep of store shop. Above on the altered sign, it read, "Gunsmith Cats."  
Inside the store, the two gunsmith cats quietly wasted time by cleaning the gun cabinet glass or reading magazines. There hadn't been a customer all day. Also, there hadn't been any recent cases to work on.  
Rally sighed as she finished putting her beloved CZ-75 handgun back together. She put the gun back in her holster and reached for a logbook under the counter. "May, what's today's date?" Rally asked while opening up the book.  
May looked up from her magazine. "It's the fourteenth! How could you forget?"  
"The fourteenth?" Rally looked puzzled. "Oh, right...Valentines Day. I forgot all about that."  
"You really need a man, Rally! This is ridiculous! You spend every Friday night wasting away at home! Today's Valentines Day, and you're gonna do the same thing!"  
"Oh, shut up," Rally mumbled as she wrote some things down in the notebook.  
May sighed deeply and threw down her magazine. "Rally, we haven't had a customer all day! Let's just go home!"  
"Yeah, and just when we close down, someone will show up."  
"Please, Rally!"  
"No, can't you listen?"  
"Rally!" May whined.  
Rally closed the logbook. "What for?"  
"Nobody is gonna stop by! There's no sense wasting away here when we could be at home!"  
Rally put the book back under the counter. She looked up over at the clock. "It's only two in the afternoon."  
"Just this once, Rally! Please!"  
Rally rolled her eyes and stood up off her stool. "What, you got some date tonight or something?"  
"No! Kenny's not coming into town this weekend. I just wanna go home!"  
Rally grabbed her favorite pair of safety glasses. "I'm sorry, but we've got to earn a living you know." She put the glasses on. "Just chill out while I go shoot, okay?"  
"Rally!" May moaned. A smile appeared on May's face then she suddenly sat straight up. "Oh, Rally?"  
Rally looked back at May just before she stepped into the shooting gallery. "What?" She asked apathetically.  
"If you close down early, I promise we can have pizza for dinner for one straight week."  
Rally's eyes perked up. "Really? No Chinese food?"  
"Really. No Chinese food."  
"No take backs or arguments?"  
"Geeze, you really think a lot of me don't you, Rally!"  
"Don't got much to go on."  
"Gee, thanks!" May suck her tongue out. "So how about it?" "Hmmm...alright. You go call in an order from Antonio's while I go shoot. Then fire up the car."  
"Alright, Rally! Thank you!" May jumped off her stool and ran off into the other room to call in the order.  
Rally shook her head and headed off into the shooting gallery. "She must have some date that she's not telling me about. Otherwise, she wouldn't be this desperate to leave early."  
A few minutes later, Rally and May headed towards home in Rally's impressive 1967 Shelby GT 500. They decided to start eating a little early and were munching on pizza while driving home. Rally, actually being in an extremely good mood from the pizza, let May choose the radio station. They cruised along the streets of Chicago getting closer and closer to their house; however, they had to stop for the train. Usually Rally would get upset and impatient because of the train, but today she actually bopped her head to May's music and sat quietly.  
"May, give me another slice."  
"Sure thing, Rally," May said nervously as she handed over the slice of pizza.  
"Thanks."  
"Uh, Rally..."  
Rally bopped her head to the music. "Step by step, heart to heart, left right left, we all fall down like toy soldiers..."  
"Rally!"  
Rally shook her head. "Uh...what? What is it, May?" Rally smiled warmly.  
May bit her lip. It was moments like these that reaffirmed the special sisterly bond she and Rally shared. Although Rally was usually tough and ornery, it was moments like this that May knew Rally really cared. And now, she was about to ruin the moment.  
"May? Are you okay?"  
May took a deep breath. "Uh, the reason I wanted to close down early today is because..."  
Rally looked over at May. "What is it?"  
"You see, Rally, I...uh...well...I've noticed that you haven't been getting out much, and seeing since it's Valentine's Day and all..."  
Rally looked sternly at May. "May?"  
"I kinda set you up on a blind date tonight."  
"YOU WHAT?"  
"I said I kinda set you up on an blind date tonight..."  
"I HEARD WHAT YOU SAID! WHY IN THE HECK WOULD YOU DO THAT? MAY!"  
"Oh, come on, Rally! You need to get some fresh air!"  
"I DON'T NEED ANY FRESH AIR!"  
The train finished passing by, and Rally hit the accelerator. The car suddenly jolted forward, and started zooming down the street.  
May's forehead smacked into the dashboard. "RALLY, CUT IT OUT! YOU'RE BEING SUCH A BABY!"  
"I NEVER ASKED YOU TO DO ANYTHING! JUST STAY OUT OF MY LIFE! WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND I DON'T NEED YOU!"  
"What's that supposed to mean?" May crosses her arms.  
"Look, I..." Rally fell silent. "I...didn't mean it like that..."  
"Then what did you mean?" May tapped her fingers against her arm.  
"Well the fact is...YOU SHOULDN'T BE MESSING AROUND IN MY LIFE! I NEVER ASKED YOU TO!"  
May turned off the radio. "COME OFF IT, RALLY! BESIDES, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU'VE EVER BEEN ON A DATE?"  
The car fell dead silent.  
May smirked. "You've never? Haven't you?  
"What's it matter anyway?" Rally said solemnly as she stared forward while driving. She remained silent after that and keep her eyes forward.  
May knew this look. Rally wasn't just mad anymore but deeply offended. "Rally..." May sighed. "Would you just please go out with him?"  
"No."  
"Rally!"  
Rally made a sharp left turn and pulled onto her street. She and May looked forward to see a car parked on the curb outside their house.  
"Who's that?" Rally asked.  
"I dunno."  
They pulled into the garage and got out of the car. Rally pulled off her sunglasses as she saw a man step out of the car.  
"Oh, it's Harry. What's he doing here?" May asked.  
"Harry?"  
"Harry Briscoe. Your blind date, Rally."  
"Well, I guess it really isn't blind, now is it, May?"  
"Shut up."  
A short plump man waddled forward in a checkered suit. He nervously fiddled with his glasses as he approached the two girls. "Hello, May."  
Rally cringed at sound of Harry's squeaky voice.  
"Hi, Harry...What are you doing here so early?" May asked.  
"Well, I thought I'd just leave early and take my time to find your house."  
May pulled up her sleeve and looked at her watch. "Uh, it's only three o'clock. I told you to drop by at six."  
"Well...that...can give me time to get to know you and all. So where's Miss Rally Vincent?"  
May turned around and saw that Rally wasn't there. "Hey!" She looked around the yard to see Rally sneaking into the house. "RALLY VINCENT! Get over here!"  
Rally turned around and smiled sheepishly. "Uh...hi..."  
Harry blushed as he got a look at Rally. Then he started fiddling with his glasses again. "It's a pl...pl...pl...pleasure to...meet...meet...you..."  
"Uh, yeah...same here." Rally faked a smile.  
May sighed. "Why don't you come inside and sit down, Harry?"  
"Okay."  
  
About an hour later, Harry sat on the couch watching Star Trek, his favorite show, while Rally and May were upstairs. Becky happened to drop by within the hour and eventually went upstairs to get away from Harry's detailed speech on the life of Captain Kirk from Star Trek.  
"Gosh, May, where did you dig that guy up?" Rally asked as she brushed out her dark hair. "Well, it's not that easy to find a date for you! Most of the guys I asked were afraid of you!"  
"What for? There's nothing to be afraid of!" Rally balked.  
"Oh, yeah?" May spat. "The last guy who asked you out had to get surgery after you kneed him in the...well...you remember..."  
"He was pushy. What was I supposed to do?" Rally walked into the bathroom.  
"Uh...just say no?" May rolled her eyes. "Hey, Becky, give me a Pepsi."  
"Yeah, sure." Becky handed a soda to May. "You know, this is all quite fascinating, but I suppose Rally does have a point. The man had to tell about his athletes foot and Star Quest...or Travel...or something."  
"Star Trek," Rally said from the bathroom.  
"See, you know some things about stuff he likes." May opened her Pepsi.  
"Oh, yeah, that makes us highly compatible." Rally almost laughed. "You could at least found someone I might be able to tolerate."  
"Well, all the guys around the neighborhood think you're scary. What was I supposed to do?"  
"Uh, just try stay out of my business. Now I have to go out with "Captain Kirk" because of you!"  
"Why did you just tell him no?" Becky asked after laughing at Rally's joke.  
"Oh sure! Make me look like the bad guy! Hopefully, we can get this thing over with, and I'll never have to see him again!" Rally hollered from the bathroom.  
"So what are you wearing tonight?" Becky took a sip out of her water bottle.  
Rally walked out of the room wearing a midnight blue dress. The sparkles shimmered in the light as she walked out. "Well, it seems like May is forcing me to wear this. I can't believe you even bought this for me."  
"It's for occasions like these, hon."  
Becky sat straight up. "Wow, Rally...you look nice."  
Rally blushed but turned her face away from May and Becky. "Oh shut up..."  
"No, I mean it. You do."  
Rally rolled her eyes as she grabbed her shoes and headed downstairs. "Looks like my Friday night is shot."  
"Oh, Rally." May rolled her eyes.  
  
Harry opened the front door for Rally. "Ready to go?"  
"Yeah, just a second." Rally bent over on her side to slip on her high-heel shoes. She hated the stupid shoes, but May insisted.  
"You two stay out of trouble!" May hollered. May and Becky sat on the couch in pajamas with a large bowl of popcorn. "Yeah!" Becky exclaimed. "We better not get a call from the police about you two!"  
Rally looked up and gave them both a dirty look. She stood up straight once her shoes were on. "Aren't you two going out?"  
"No," Becky said.  
"Ready?" Harry asked.  
"Yeah, let's go."  
Harry and Rally walked out the front door to Rally's house and shut the door behind them. Rally stopped to lock the door while Harry headed to the car. Rally then turned around to see Harry holding open the passenger door to a 1974 Ford Pinto. Rally didn't know whether to laugh or cringe at the "deathtrap" of a vehicle.  
"Hop in, Rally." Harry motioned his hand to the door.  
"Uh, I'm driving." Rally turned on the sidewalk heading toward the garage and went to fire up the Cobra, as she liked to call her car.  
"Hey, wait." Harry waddled after her. He walked up to the garage door and jumped back once he heard the engine of the Shelby roar.  
Rally then reversed out of the driveway. She leaned out her rolled down window. "Get in." Harry waddled over to the passenger side and slid in. "You know, my mother doesn't think it's a good idea for women to drive..."  
Rally slammed the accelerator and the car reversed out of the driveway. Harry flew back in his seat and slammed against it real hard. "Then your mother and I wouldn't get along very well." Rally smiled as she clutched the gear shifter of the car. She put the car in drive and zoomed forward down the street."  
Harry finally managed to take a proper seat, and he buckled in. "My mother also doesn't like dominant women..." He took a deep breath of relief. "...but, I don't mind so much..."  
Rally laughed as she pushed the accelerator harder. "Your mother apparently tells you a lot of things."  
Harry gripped onto the seat as Rally went faster and faster. "Yes, she does. Could we not go so fast? I get very car sick."  
Rally suddenly hit her brake. "Yeah, you're not throwing up in my car. I just got this baby back from the shop."  
Harry grabbed his stomach from the sudden stop. "I'll try not too."  
"Good."  
  
Harry held open the door to Mario's Pizza for Rally as she walked in. She decided to leave her normal neighborhood for the date just in case anyone saw her. She looked around the restaurant and only saw a few people and luckily, she didn't know any of them as she hoped.  
"I need to go to the bathroom. You order the pizza while I'm gone." Rally headed off toward the restroom.  
"Okay, I can do that. Any preferences?"  
"I eat whatever." Rally then turned around a corner.  
"Okay."  
  
Rally came out of the bathroom and joined Harry at a couples table. "He had to pick a two seat table, didn't he?" She thought to herself.  
"You were gone 5 minutes and 37 seconds. I was starting to worry about you." Harry said as he put his recording pencil away.  
"Why? I wasn't gone that long." Rally gave Harry a strange look.  
"Once when I was on a date in high school, the girl slipped out the bathroom window and left me at the restaurant."  
Rally bit her lip. "Uh, I'm sorry."  
"It's very painful to talk about." He pulled out a package of tissues and blew his nose and wiped his eyes.  
"Oh..." Rally looked around the room. She then caught a whiff of some horrible smell. "Uh, what is that smell? It smells like a yak!"  
"Pizza!" An older twenties thin woman in an apron walked up to Harry and Rally. She set the pizza down on the table. "One lactose intolerant soy cheese pizza."  
"Lact...what?" Rally asked, almost gagging.  
"Lactose intolerant pizza. You know, I've been working here since I was fifteen, and I'd say you two are the first to order it. My husband's family have run this place for 60 years, and they think you're the first too."  
"Oh what a momentous occasion," Rally apathetically said.  
"Stick around. We'll take your picture later." The woman walked away.  
"That's great. Our date will be immortalized forever." Harry grabbed a slice of pizza. "Which slice do you want?"  
"Uh, I'm not hungry anymore." Rally put her head in her hands.  
"Well, okay." Harry took a bite. "So what do you like to do for fun?"  
"Shoot guns, drive cars."  
"My mother says guns are dangerous."  
"That's cause the idiots that have them don't know how to use them," Rally spat. "Then the government's gotta crack down because of idiots like them."  
"I don't mind an edgy girl! Oh, no, not at all! I'm fine with an in- charge woman." Harry said before taking a drink of water.  
"Just like your mother right?"  
"Right."  
Rally sighed and took a drink of her Pepsi.  
All of the sudden, a huge explosion blew up half the restaurant. Rally jumped down to the ground and hit behind a flipped over table. "HARRY! GET OVER HERE!" She grabbed Harry's shirt collar and yanked him behind the table.  
"What's going on?" Harry asked, crying and hyperventilating.  
"I don't know!" Rally hollered. She pulled out her trusty CZ-75 handgun from her leg holster.  
"IS EVERYONE OKAY?" A younger man ran threw the remaining part of the restaurant.  
Suddenly, a group of five men stepped into the opening. They were dressed exactly like regular people except they wore ski-masks.  
"Who are you?" The young man questioned. He looked closely then his eyes opened up wide. "Wait! I can explain!"  
One of them, who appeared to be the leader, pulled out and fired off a machine gun from his trench coat. Everyone screamed and ducked as the young man was sprayed with bullets over and over again.  
"MARIO!" The waitress who gave Harry and Rally the pizza screamed. "MARIO!" She jumped over the counter and ran out into the middle of the restaurant. As the young man, named Mario, collapsed, she caught him in her arms and screamed.  
"WHAT THE HECK!" Rally hollered. She poked out from behind the table and started firing at the five men. She managed to hit the leader in the stomach but the other men started firing at her. She screamed and dropped her gun once she was hit in the right arm.  
"RALLY! ARE YOU OKAY?" Harry asked, still balling.  
"I'M FINE!" Rally picked up her gun and kept firing as the men left. She and the retreating men exchanged more bullets until they were out of sight. "DANG IT!" She screamed. She grabbed her wounded arm and held it tightly. "DANG IT! THEY GOT AWAY! I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"  
  
"OUCH! Watch it!" Rally hollered as the paramedics wrapped up her arm in bandages.  
"Sorry, Ma'am."  
"Rally!"  
Rally looked up. There was May running right at her in her Cubs tee- shirt with Becky trailing right behind her in a blazer.  
"Oh, Rally! I came as fast as I could!" She hugged Rally tightly. "I'm so glad you're okay!"  
"Geeze, May! I'm all right! Don't squeeze so hard!" Rally exclaimed.  
  
"Oh, Rally, I was so worried about you..."  
Rally sighed lovingly and patted May's back. "It's alright, May. Everything's gonna be okay now."  
Becky adjusted her glasses. "Really, you need to be more careful, Rally. Your wounds could have been fatal."  
"What was I supposed to do? The place just kinda exploded. I was just having dinner."  
"Speaking of which, where's Harry?" Becky asked.  
"The police are questioning him," Rally said. "Yeah, he's a little shaken up."  
"Gee, his mother will probably never let you two go on a date again," May said. "I had to bribe her with a cheesecake just to get the first one set up."  
"May!"  
May smiled and shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry, Rally..."  
"Well, well, well look what we have here. My favorite pussycats..."  
Rally, May, and Becky froze.  
"Don't tell me that's who I think it is," Rally whined.  
"I can't believe it," May moaned.  
"Well, believe it," Becky said.  
The three of them turned around and faked a smile. "Bill!"  
"What's up, pussycats?"  
"Apparently not your fashion sense," May hissed.  
"Oh, I sense a little hostility here..." Bill rubbed the back of his neck. "So how's it going, girls?"  
"We are not doing anything for you," Rally spat out.  
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Easy now! That wasn't my intent coming over here! I was just here to tell you a few things."  
"Like what?" May asked. "Did you finally learn to dress yourself in the morning?"  
"Ha! Ha! Ha! No!" Bill said. "Perhaps this is another case we can crack together? What do ya say, pussycat?"  
"Excuse me, but your not going to be doing anything around here!" A voice snapped.  
Bill turned around while the girls looked up to focus their attention. There stood a young man dressed in grey suit pants, a white shirt, and a black tie. He stood tall and firm with his sleeves rolled up, obviously to show off his muscles. His brown hair was neatly cut, and his eyes were deep brown.  
"Well, hi..." May slurred in a drunken daze. "My name's May Hopkins. What's yours, handsome?"  
Becky elbowed May. "Does the name Kenny ring a bell?"  
"Oh right!" May shook her head.  
The young man sharply turned his head to the right looking straight at Bill. He glared then smirked. "You can go now. The ATF doesn't need to be involved."  
"Well, why didn't you just say so before?" Bill spat before he walked away.  
"Who are you?" Rally asked.  
"The name's Devin Park. I'm with the Chicago Police Department." He puffed up his chest. "I graduated top of my class at the academy. I also broke 14 of the school's records."  
"So you know Roy then?" Rally asked, concerned about her friend.  
"Yeah, I know him," Devin said. He smirked then looked up at Rally. He held out his fist to Rally then rolled his wrist making a flower appear as a magic trick. He handed the flower to Rally, which she reluctantly took.  
"Uh...thanks..." Rally stuttered. She fell silent after that.  
Devin stood there for a moment waiting for a response. As he waited he looked around at the other officers. "Well, I guess I better go. There's a lot of work to do." He turned around and walked away.  
May slapped Rally upside the head.  
"Ouch!" Rally exclaimed. "What'd you do that for?" "What is the matter with you?" May hissed. "What?" Rally asked. "You complain about the people I find for you to date then that Devin guy starts hitting on you, and you do nothing! He was actually hot, and he wasn't afraid of you either!" May complained. "Why didn't you ask him out?" "Wait a minute! I never said that this dating thing was going to be permanent! I just went out with Harry so I would hurt his feelings!" "Rally, I don't know what to do with you sometimes!" "Would you just keep your nose out my business!" Another police officer walked up to the group and stood next to Becky. He looked at Rally and May fighting for a few moments. "Popcorn?" Becky asked, holding a bag of popcorn. "Yeah, sure." He said as he watched the two fight, quite entertained. "I thought we were friends, Rally!" "Friends don't go behind each other's backs, May!"  
Becky grabbed a hand full of popcorn. "Yeah, they'll be at it all night."  
  
Late that night, the Shelby Cobra pulled into the driveway of Rally's house. Rally yanked the keys out and got out of the car. Becky and May stumbled out of the car and entered the house through the garage. Harry started heading toward the front door so Rally tiredly followed.  
"I can't believe all that happened. My mother will be so upset. I hope she doesn't have another heart-attack..."  
Rally punched in the security code for the house then manually unlocked the front door. She grasped the handle while yawning and opened it.  
"Maybe we'll have to try this again. Goodnight, Miss Vincent."  
"Yeah, goodnight."  
Harry took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He puckered his lips and learned forward only to find his lips meeting the wooden front door.  
"Rally?" 


	2. Unraveling Plans

I forgot to mention that I don't own the Gunsmith Cats and all that other legal stuff. So don't sue me from anything! The items such as places and characters to not belong to me and I don't claim them. I do however claim my characters.  
  
Episode Two  
Unraveling Plans  
  
Rally yawned as she headed down the stairs. She went to stretch her arms but suddenly remembered her wound through a slight pain shooting up her arm. She put her arms back down and finished walking down the stairs. Oddly, May was already up and stirring in the kitchen. Rally walked down the dark hallway then entered into the lit kitchen. "May, what are you doing up?"  
May turned around from the counter holding a cup of coffee. She shrugged her shoulders then looked to the ground. "Couldn't sleep." She set the cup down on the counter and walked over to the cabinet.  
Rally picked up May's cup of coffee and took a drink. "Hmmm...that's good."  
May spun around. "HEY! That's mine!"  
"Sorry, little girls don't drink coffee!" Rally took another slip.  
"Rally!" May jumped up and down trying to get her cup back from Rally. "Give it back! Now! I mean it! Rally! I'm not a kid anymore!"  
Rally laughed as she played keep away from May.  
"GIVE ME MY COFFEE! NOW!" May screamed.  
Rally put the cup down. "Geeze, the caffeine's made you a little edgy!"  
May snatched her cup back and took a drink. "I need it." She then took a seat at the kitchen table.  
Rally walked over to the refrigerator. "So where's Becky?" She opened it and stooped over to look inside.  
"She went home last night. Around one, I think." May leaned over to her side to look at Rally and the refrigerator. "What, you thinking about cooking something?"  
"Not on your life!" Rally stood up and shut the door. "Besides, there's no food in there anyway. Not unless you want C-4 for breakfast." She placed her hand on her stomach. "Man, I'm hungry."  
"There's rice on the stove."  
Rally gave May a sour face. "You know, I'm really sick of Chinese food."  
"Well, I'm sick and tired of eating pizza all the time!"  
Rally turned back to the refrigerator and opened it up. "At least there's extra pizza from lunch yesterday." She grabbed the box and tossed it onto the table. To lazy to actually use the microwave, Rally opened the box and started eating the cold pizza.  
"How's your arm?"  
"Just a flesh wound. Nothing serious."  
May shook her head. "Nothing serious? Rally, you could have died last night. That doesn't sound like nothing serious to me."  
"What is with you people? I'm fine! I'm alive, aren't I?" Rally barked.  
May looked down and stared into her coffee cup. "But maybe next time you won't be," May solemnly said.  
Rally shook her head in disgust. "You people worry to much."  
The telephone started ringing.  
"What time is it?" Rally asked.  
"It's only seven."  
"I don't wanna get it." Rally slouched in her chair.  
"Right, we'll just let the machine answer it."  
Five rings went by then the machine picked up. "Rally...Rally...are you there...Rally...It's Harry...Are you okay...Rally...Pick up, Rally...I just want to know if you're okay...Rally...it's me...Harry...pick up..."  
Rally groaned. "Why in the world is he calling me at seven in the stinking morning!" She screamed.  
"He's just worried about you, that's all. It's good to know that a man cares about you, Rally."  
"Oh, shut up!"  
  
Rally and May spent most of the morning watching television and lounging around the living room in pajamas. They currently were watching the hockey game between the Chicago Blackhawks and the Toronto Maple Leaves.  
"Rally?"  
"Yeah?"  
"This game is boring."  
"Yeah, I know."  
"Change the channel."  
"I don't wanna get up."  
"Uh..."  
Rally sat up. "Actually, I should call Becky."  
May sat up also. "What for?"  
"I need information about what happened last night." Rally got up off the couch and went into the kitchen. She dialed Becky's number and waited.  
"Hello."  
"Becky. I need a favor."  
"What is it this time, Rally?"  
"I need the police details on the explosion last night."  
"I suppose I could do that. But, are you gonna pay me this time?"  
"Why you little...!" Rally clenched the phone cord. "Is that all you ever think about is money?"  
"When it's my job I do! You owe me for information on the last three cases. I don't see why I should help you now."  
"Cause if you don't, I'll send May to live with you!" Rally hissed.  
"Hey!" May yelled from the living room.  
"Fine, Rally. I'll be over in an hour or two."  
"That's what I thought." Rally hung up the phone. She first went to the refrigerator to get a Pepsi. After that, she went back into the living room. She jumped onto the couch next to May.  
"What'd Becky have to say?"  
"Nothing much...the little weasel!" Rally spat.  
The phone rang again. Five times then the answering machine picked up the message. "Rally...Rally Vincent...Are you home...Rally...answer me...please...pick up the phone...Rally...I miss you, Rally...please..."  
"Awe, isn't that cute!" May exclaimed.  
Rally screamed. "HE'S BEEN CALLING EVERY HOUR ON THE HOUR SINCE SEVEN! HE'S CALLED 5 TIMES ALREADY! HOW IS THAT CUTE!"  
"Rally...please...I really think you and I had something...please...I'm worried about you...Is your arm okay...Rally...Rally...Rally..."  
"THAT'S IT!" Rally reached down to the coffee table where her beloved CZ-75 rested, and she snatched it up in her hand. She then pointed it at the answering machine and fired.  
The answering machine blew into pieces and fell to the ground. It sounded goofy and distorted. "Rrrraaaallllllllyyyy...pppllleeeaaasssee...aannsswweerr...ttth..." Suddenly, the sound stopped, and the machine died.  
"Ah," Rally breathed, completely relieved.  
"Rally!" May hissed. "What'd you go and do that for! That was a perfectly good answering machine!"  
"Yeah, well, I was sick of him calling!" Rally spat. "Plus," Rally smirked. "It was a really good shot too."  
"You really need some anger management! Geeze!"  
  
Just as she promised, Becky stopped by within an hour and a half with her computer and printed out papers. The three of them gathered around the coffee table in the living room and looked at Becky's computer.  
"So what'd ya find, Becky?" May asked.  
"Hey, May, get me a soda," Rally said while staring at the computer screen. "What's that mean?"  
"It means..." Becky started.  
"Hey! Do I look like your slave, Rally?"  
"Just go, May!"  
May moaned and headed off into the kitchen.  
Becky adjusted her glasses. "Those are just serial numbers."  
"Oh," Rally flopped back onto the couch. "So tell me the gist of what you found, Becky."  
"Fine. But you gotta promise to pay me this time!"  
"Fine! Geeze!"  
"Well, the explosion took place at Mario's Pizzeria and Italian Restaurant on February 14, 1995 at 7:58 PM. The owner of the restaurant is Mario Vanzetti Sr. along with his wife, Maria Vanzetti. Their son, Mario Vanzetti Jr. was shot and killed by a gang of five men. The only one caught was Michael De Luca."  
"Who were the witnesses?" Rally asked.  
"Let's see here," Becky uttered while typing. "Uh, Anna Vanzetti, the wife of Mario Vanzetti Jr., Matthew Vanzetti, their son. Mario Vanzetti Sr. and his wife Maria, the parents of Mario Vanzetti Jr. Then there's Ashley Talbot, Jacob Sanders, Lucas Johnson, Susan Johnson, Alex Johnson, you, and Harry."  
"What about the wounded list?"  
May walked back into the living room, and handed sodas to Rally and Becky. She then opened up her own Pepsi and focused on the computer screen.  
"Uh, just a sec...here..." Becky used her computer mouse and opened a folder of the desktop. "Um, the wounded were Matthew Vanzetti with a broken arm, Susan Johnson with glass shards, Rally Vincent with a shot wound, and Anna Vanzetti with a shot wound. The only homicide was Mario Vanzetti Jr."  
"Well, it appeared that the only person those guys were after were that Mario Vanzetti Jr. guy." Rally thought for a moment.  
"What do you think it all means, Rally?" May asked.  
"I don't know. It doesn't make sense." Rally shook her head and thought hard. "The guy just worked at a pizza place. Why would anyone want to kill him?"  
"Are there any connections, Becky? What do the Police have to say?"  
"Well, I cracked into the Police data bank. I found a little side note in their files that they're drawing some kind of connection to ethnicity. Apparently, both the Vanzetti family and Michael De Luca are 1st or 2nd generation Italian immigrants."  
"So what's that supposed to mean?" Rally asked.  
Becky sighed. "What major crime organization is run by Italians?"  
"The Olive Garden?" May asked.  
Rally cast a strange look at May. "What is wrong with you?"  
"Try the Mafia, May," Becky said.  
"Forget about it!" May said in her Italian, accent impression.  
Rally shook her head then turned to Becky. "What about Michael De Luca's record. Can you bring up the file?"  
"Bingo! That was my next point. He has been arrested before and has been affiliated with the Mafia. Never for anything this big though. We have strong arm robbery, DUI, and selling alcohol to minors, but nothing else."  
"Maybe he's never been caught for anything else," May said.  
The telephone starting ringing again.  
Rally screamed. "NOT AGAIN!"  
"What's wrong?" Becky asked.  
"Rally's boyfriend keeps calling," May giggled as she headed toward the kitchen.  
"Oooo, Rally's boyfriend?"  
"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!"  
May started to reach for the phone.  
"DON'T YOU DARE!"  
May picked it up anyway. "Hello."  
Rally groaned.  
"Rally. It's for you."  
Rally shot a dirty look at May. "It's the Chicago Police Department." May extended her arm to give Rally the phone. "They need to talk to you." The expression on Rally's face lightened up. She walked over to May and took the phone. "Hello?" "Hello, Ma'am this is John Watts with the Chicago Police Department. We request that you come down to the station for questioning." "Sure. I'll be right over in a few minutes." "Thank you." "What'd they want, Rally?" May asked.  
Rally hung up the phone. "They want me for questioning about the case. I'm gonna hop in the shower quick."  
"Can I come to the station too?"  
"NO!"  
May folded her arms. "No fair!"  
"Why do you wanna come anyway? It's not like they're gonna ask you anything." Rally gulped the rest of her Pepsi.  
"Well, I was thinking..."  
"What?" Rally sternly questioned.  
"If you see Devin Park again, you could ask him out..."  
"NO MORE DATES, MAY! DO YOU UNDERSTAND!" Rally hollered. "I'M GETTING REAL SICK OF THIS!"  
"But, Rally!"  
Rally moaned then ran upstairs.  
"Geeze!"  
Becky laughed. "May, give her a break. Rally likes to do things her own way. And besides, she's got plenty of time. She's only nineteen."  
"Yeah, but it's just so much fun to see Rally with somebody."  
Becky shrugged then smiled. "Yeah, I know. It's so much fun to hassle her about all this stuff."  
  
Rally, dressed in her black skirt and gold jacket, walked into the Chicago Police Station. She waltzed right in, knowing exactly where she was going, and headed up to the third floor. She rode the elevator up, got up off her stop, and headed to the right. She headed down the long, white hallway towards the office of Roy Coleman, a good friend of hers that she commonly did business with.  
"Rally!"  
Rally spun around to find the voice that called her. "Agent Park," She muttered once she saw it was Devin.  
He walked right up to her dressed in fine clothes again. He dressed more like a rich lawyer rather than a police officer. Today he wore shiny black shoes, grey suit pants, a white shirt, with a matching grey vest to the pants, and a black tie again. He smiled confidently. "Just call me Devin."  
"Uh, hi...Devin..." Rally uttered.  
"So what are you doing here?"  
"I was called down for questioning."  
"Oh, I see. Say, would you like a tour."  
"No thanks. I've seen the whole building pretty much. I know Roy Coleman, as I said. As a matter of fact, is he in today?"  
"No, it's his day off."  
"Darn." She sighed deeply. "Hmmm...I needed a favor."  
"Maybe I can help?" He took a step toward Rally. Then half smiling half smirking, he rested his hand against the wall to support himself.  
"I don't think you can." Rally turned her face away from Devin. "I don't think you've got that kind of power around here."  
Devin looked sour. He stood up straight. "Now just wait a minute. I've got plenty of power around here. Why don't you just try me?"  
"Well, I was wondering if I could see Michael De Luca in his cell. But I suppose you don't have that kind of authority to give, now do you?"  
"Excuse me?" Devin said smirking and holding up a ring of keys. He fished through the keys and found a shiny gold colored one. "I believe this is what you're looking for." Devin turned back towards the way he came from and started walking. "Follow me. It's down here."  
"Okay." Rally smiled. "Men are so arrogant! It gets them every time!" Rally thought to herself as she smirked.  
Devin walked a long ways down the white hall. Rally took a whiff of the air; it smelled like industrial cleaner. Most of the lights were off in the hallway only leaving natural light shining through the blinders on the windows.  
"So what do you do for a living?" Devin asked.  
"I own a store," Rally plainly said, not feeling too talkative at the moment.  
"How old are you?  
"Twenty-one."  
"What do you do for fun?"  
"Nothing."  
Devin looked over at her and smirked. "You do play hard to get, don't you?"  
"Excuse me?"  
"I asked Roy about you. He says you're as tough as nails and ornery to boot. Nothing I can't handle though." Devin smirked again.  
Rally shot a dirty look at him. "Am I supposed to be flattered or something?"  
Devin walked into an all-white, steel room. "Well, anyway, here's the lock up."  
"What his cell number?"  
"Eight."  
Rally walked down the white hallway. She stopped at cell 8 and stepped up on her toes. She looked in through the window. "Oh, my God!"  
"What?" Devin asked.  
"Open the cell! There's something wrong with him!"  
Devin ran over to the cell door and quickly unlocked it. He slid open the steel door and ran in right behind Rally.  
"Hurry, get him up! Now!"  
Devin stood there. "There's no use. He's dead."  
The two looked down and gazed. The man, Michael De Luca, took his bedsheet wrapped it around his neck and flushed the other end down the toilet.  
"Suicide?" Rally questioned in shock.  
"Apparently. It's just like hanging yourself. There's no way we'll be able to get that sheet out of that toilet now."  
Rally took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She turned away from the body feeling too overwhelmed at the moment.  
"I'll radio for back up." He pulled out his radio and stepped out of the cell.  
Rally opened her eyes and looked back at the lifeless body on the ground. "Why would he do that?" She wondered to herself. "He hadn't even been sentenced yet. Rally sighed from the burden of a troubled mind.  
  
"Suicide?" May asked.  
"Yeah, that's what Devin said." Rally sat on the couch and clenched onto a pillow. She sighed and buried her face into the pillow.  
"I wonder what would drive him to do that?" Becky said.  
"I don't know." Rally looked up. "A lot of things don't make sense here. Whoever is in charge of their operation is way too flamboyant about doing business also. First an explosion then a homicide."  
"But I thought it was a suicide," May said.  
"No, I think there's more that what meets the eye. Something just doesn't seem right. Maybe, it's just me, but something is going on, and we have to get to the bottom of it. Becky, I'll need more information."  
"You're taking up the case?" Becky asked.  
"You bet."  
"But your arm hasn't even healed yet!" May exclaimed.  
"So what?"  
"So what! You could get hurt or something!"  
Rally smirked. "I'll manage."  
Becky turned off her computer. "It's getting late. You guys want to get some dinner?"  
"Nah, I'm tired," Rally said. "Besides, there's leftover Taco Bell in the fridge."  
"Maybe I shouldn't let you pay me. You need to buy some groceries!" Becky exclaimed.  
"Fine, it's a deal!" Rally smiled.  
"Rally!"  
The three sat silent for a few moments. It was extremely quiet in the house. The only sound that they heard was a car driving by.  
"Know it, Ral?"  
Rally pondered for a moment. "Uh...1995 Dodge Caravan."  
Becky shook her head. "That's just sick, Rally. I think you need some professional help."  
They sat for a few more minutes waiting for the next car to come by.  
"How about that one?"  
"Hmmm...1974 Ford Pinto..." Rally uttered. She thought for a moment and then her eyes bulged. "1974 FORD PINTO! HARRY! HIDE ME!" Rally jumped over the back of the couch. "May, get the lights!"  
May ran over to the light switch and flipped them just as Harry parked the car on the street. Becky flipped down her laptop computer and ducked in-between the couch and the coffee table.  
Knock...Knock...Knock. "Rally? It's me, Harry. Harry Briscoe. Are you there? Open up! I just want to know if you're okay! Rally!"  
May giggled on the floor.  
"May!" Rally barked under her breath. "Shut up!"  
"Rally! Please come to the door! Rally!" 


	3. Risky Business

Episode Three  
Risky Business  
  
Rally and May stepped into their house from the garage entrance after a long day at the shop. Rally threw her trench coat up on the coat hanger and headed into the kitchen. May leaned against the wall and took off her high heel shoes.  
"Uh, my feet are killing me!" May exclaimed.  
"Then why did you wear those stupid shoes?" Rally asked from the kitchen.  
"Pain is beauty, my friend." May slipped into her childish fuzzy pink slippers. "Hey, Ral?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What's for dinner?"  
"That's a question you don't need to ask yourself." Rally walked back into the room. "I just ordered pizza from Dominos."  
"UH..." May moaned. "I think I'm gonna hurl! I'm sick of eating pizza! Rally! Please, can't we have something else?"  
"A promise is a promise." Rally smirked.  
May moaned again as she walked into the living room. She jumped over the back of the couch, grabbed the remote, and flipped on the television. Rally entered the living room from the other side and looked at May and the television.  
"Awe, crap! It's Wednesday, isn't it?" Rally said sourly.  
"Uh, huh!" May smiled. "Friends is on tonight!"  
"I hate that show!" Rally spat. "It's so dumb!"  
"Then go do something else," May said.  
"I suppose I could finish polishing my Beretta." Rally walked out of the room and headed upstairs.  
  
"Come on! Tell her you love her! You know you want to!" May hollered at the television, almost in tears.  
Rally shook her head and looked back to her new gun. It was a Beretta Model 92, a kind used by the US Military. While it wasn't one of her favorites, she still had a special place in her heart for this trusty and faithful gun.  
The doorbell rang.  
"Ral, you get it. I can't miss this next part!"  
Rally sighed, and she put her gun down. She stood up, wiped her hands on a towel, and headed over to the door. She grabbed the door. "Hello."  
"Hello, ma'am. Here's your pizza. Two large pizza with pepperoni and extra cheese. That'll be $25 even."  
Rally grabbed the money jar that she and May left near the door; they ordered out very often. She paid the pizza boy the $25 but dug around in the jar some more. "May!"  
"What!"  
"Bring your purse and get over here!"  
"Uh, Rally! This is the best part!"  
Rally looked at the pizza boy. "Sorry, I'll get your tip in a minute."  
"That's no problem." The blonde haired pizza boy smiled. "So, you like pizza?"  
"Uh, yeah..." Rally said awkwardly.  
"You know, I go to UIC."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah, so I'm around the neighborhood a lot."  
"Oh, that's nice." Rally apathetically said.  
May stood with her purse and smiling. "Hi, Rally. Having a nice conversation?"  
Rally shot a dirty look at May. "May, just give the pizza boy his tip, okay?"  
"It's Jaime, Jaime Knight," The pizza boy spoke up.  
"Alright then, give Jaime his tip then." Rally glared at May.  
May dug around in her purse. "I don't got any cash, Ral." May laid her purse down next to the money jar. "I know! How about for a tip, you go out on a date with Jaime, Ral? That'd be more than fair."  
Jaime stood up straight. "Well, I..."  
Rally slammed the door quickly. "No, May! No more dates!"  
"Rally! He was cute! And probably just your age too!"  
"May, what did I say?" Rally barked.  
"I understand." May looked to the ground.  
"Thank you."  
"I understand that you're in love with Harry instead!" May grabbed the pizza box and ran away as fast as she could.  
"Why you little..." Rally chased after her. "I'm gonna kill you!"  
  
Becky, as usual, let herself into Rally and May's house. She walked into the living room to see Rally and Becky watching television and eating pizza. "I knew I should have ate before I came. I knew there'd be nothing besides pizza or Chinese food."  
"Nobody's asking you to eat it." Rally grabbed another slice.  
Becky sighed and sat down. She reached down and grabbed a slice. "What are you watching?"  
"Friends," May said.  
"Alright!" Becky leaned forward towards the television.  
"You're just in time for the second episode."  
"Get a life." Rally rolled her eyes.  
"You're one to talk!" May exclaimed. "Guess what Becky? The pizza boy was hitting on her, and she stood there doing nothing!"  
"Ooooo...the pizza boy?" Becky said. "Who's he?"  
"Hey! First of all, I barely even knew who Jaime was! Sec..."  
"Hey, you remembered his name! You must like him!"  
"Geeze, May! It just happened fifteen minutes ago! It's not like I have amnesia or something!"  
"You like him!"  
"Do not!"  
"Do too!" "Do not!"  
"Do too!"  
Becky covered her ears. "HEY GUYS!"  
"WHAT!" Rally and May screamed and looked over at Becky.  
Becky uncovered her ears. "I got more information on the case."  
"What!" Rally and May exclaimed. Rally directed her full attention on Becky as did May. "Tell us!"  
Becky smirked. "Well, I have the police report and notes on the interview with Michael De Luca before he committed suicide."  
"Tell me," Rally said.  
"Well, Michael De Luca confessed to the crime. His other four partners were Leo Bianchi, Fred Gallo, Bartolomeo Romano, and Dario Pirandello. They too are also Italians. These five are also linked to a Mafia sub-division called the Capones. Now checking out the my street resources, the Capones run a gambling, bootlegging, prostitution, and loan shark business. They call it The Shack."  
"Where at?"  
"742 Wallaby Way."  
"Hmmm..." Rally looked up at the clock. "It's only six. I'm going there...tonight."  
"YOU'RE WHAT?" Becky and May asked.  
Rally got up off the couch. "I gonna change my clothes then I'm going to that place tonight."  
"Why?" Becky asked.  
"Somebody's gotta get to the bottom of this!"  
"It's showtime!" May laughed. "I'll get my bombs."  
"NO!" Rally hollered. "This is an undercover operation. Something you don't know the meaning of, obviously!"  
"Rally! Come on!"  
"No." Rally ran upstairs.  
  
Rally parked the Cobra, and she shut the lights off. The three of them sat in the dark for a few minutes before moving.  
"This is it?" Rally asked. She looked at the dark shack in the distance.  
"Yeah, 742 Wallaby Way." Becky answered.  
"I wanna come too!" May exclaimed, tied up in the back seat.  
"No! You're saying in the car."  
"Rally! Come on! I can help!"  
Rally opened the door. "You'll only get us into trouble!" She stepped out of the car into the street light. "Looks like I found a practical use for the dress you brought me, May." Her midnight-blue dress shimmered in the street lamp light. Rally bent over and pulled her leg holster off. She handed the gun to Becky.  
"What are you doing?" Becky asked. "You're going in there unarmed?"  
"It'll be for the best." Rally walked away from the car.  
May freed one of her arms and threw her purse at Rally. Rally felt the purse smack her in the back. "Ouch! May!" She picked up the purse and carried it with her. "You jerk, Rally! I'm never talking to you again! EVER!" "Fine by me!" Rally shook her head and headed up to the small shack. It looked like an abandoned ice cream store at one time. She circled around the building until she found a loose door in the back. She opened in and stepped into the shut-up building. She walked around, weaving around the junk and clutter, towards the back. She walked into the former kitchen and found light. "Bingo." She said to herself as she found a door leading underground. Opening the door, she walked down the cement steps. She came to the end of the steps and walked down a hallway. There, two men stood at the entrance of a lit room. "Who are you?" One of the men asked, clearly in an Italian accent. "Uh..." Rally bit her lip. "Think...Rally...think! What's an Italian name? Think!" Rally thought in her mind. "It's Maria..." "Maria...eh...? Which one?" "Uh..." Rally stuttered. "You better figure it out, Missy, or you're getting trouble!" "Hey, you idiots! Leave this girly alone." A man in a white suit walked up and slapped the two guards over the heads. "You don't talk to beautiful women like that! Now get going, you morons!" The man in the white suit smirked and extended his arm. "What's your name, doll face?" He was clearly Italian himself considering his heavy accent. "Oh, it's...uh...Morgan..." Rally smiled. She took the man's arm and let him guide her into the lit room. "Morgan, eh? And what's a gorgeous girl like you doing here?" "Just looking for some excitement." Rally smiled and glanced around the room. Most men were gambling, and smoking cigars in the room. A heavy cloud of smoke settled just above their heads. Awkwardly dressed females, almost looking like they were from the 1920's, clung to the men who were gambling. Rally's eyes, however, locked at a man in the corner. He sat cloaked in black just sitting there not moving at all. "Excitement? You've come to the right place." The man in the white suit guided Rally down to sit on a red couch. "So what's your name?" Rally smiled. The man smiled back. "Tony. Tony Antenelli." He slid his arm around Rally's shoulders. "You thought about working here, doll face?" "Working here?" "Yeah, you know, as a..." Tony smiled... "Well, you know..." "Oh." Rally's eyes popped open. "I never thought of it." "Well, you should..." Tony scooted close to Rally, leaning in for a kiss. Rally leaned back. "Uh...I..." "Hey, Tony." Another man in a black suit walked up.  
Tony turned from Rally. "What!" He hissed. "Oh, what do you want?"  
"Business." He sat down.  
Tony turned back to Rally. "Just a sec, doll face. I gotta talk some business."  
"Did you hear about Vanzetti?"  
Rally sharply turned her head to the right. She saw a group of men playing cards and talking. She watched and listened in.  
"No, what happened?"  
"That little weasel Vanzetti was shot up by De Luca and his gang."  
"What for?"  
"Turns out he owed a hefty loan to Michelo Chariot."  
"Geeze, that's one guy I'd never wanna mess with."  
"That's for sure."  
"Hey, doll face!" Tony tapped Rally shoulder.  
Rally turned around. "Yes?"  
"Where were we?" Tony wrapped both of his arms around Rally's waist and leaned in closer to her.  
"Uh...I really don't...  
As Tony leaned in closer, the purse Rally carried was sandwiched in- between them. Then suddenly, something inside clicked. Tony sat up straight mortally terrified. "SHE'S BUGGED!"  
Everyone in the room looked over at Rally. Tony grabbed the purse and opened it. Sure enough, there was a cassette recorder in the purse.  
"MAY!" Rally screamed in her head. She smiled nervously on the outside however. She then took a swing at Tony and landed a punch in the cheek.  
"GET HER!" Every man in the room ran towards Rally. Rally jumped up and started punching and elbowing her attackers one by one. At first, she did rather well defending herself until five men ganged up on her. The one who came behind her grabbed her wounded arm and squeezed it.  
Pain surged up through Rally's arm, and she screamed. She then received a knee in the stomach, which caused her to fall to the ground. She tired to catch her breath, but she just couldn't. Suddenly, everything turned black.  
The man cloaked in black jumped out of the corner and grabbed a broomstick. Her smacked the men gang-beating Rally over the head. Displaying his martial arts skills, he kicked one man in the face then smacked the two others with the stick. He hit his next target in the stomach then swung the stick into another man's face. Soon enough, all the men were down and wounded. He threw the stick to the ground and picked up Rally. Once he heard police sirens, he ran out of the building.  
  
"Where is she?" Becky asked. "I don't understand! I called the police thinking that they could help her!"  
May weaved through the police officers guiding Becky along with her. "Rally! Where are you! Rally! Rally!"  
"Hey, look! There's Roy! Let's ask him!" Becky said.  
"Good idea!" May ran up to Roy. "Roy! Roy!"  
Roy looked down at May. "Can I help you?"  
"Where's Rally?"  
"Rally? I didn't even know she was here. None of us have seen her anywhere around here," Roy said.  
"Rally?" May questioned, extremely shocked.  
"I think it would be best if you just went home," Roy said. "BUT WHAT ABOUT RALLY?" May screamed, almost in tears.  
"Look, I'll call you if I see her. But I think it would be best if you just went home, okay."  
"BUT..."  
Becky sighed. "Come on, May. We better go."  
May looked down at her shoes as tears started to pour down her cheeks. She started to sniffle as Becky threw an arm around her. Becky guided May back to Rally's Cobra. She got behind the wheel, something she never thought she'd do, and started up the car. May crawled into the passenger seat. Becky put the car in drive and starting heading back to Rally's house. May curled up into a ball and leaned against the door of the car as she wept. Becky sighed again as she looked over at May.  
  
"It'll be okay, May. I'm sure, Rally's fine." May cried harder. "The last thing I said to her is that I never wanted to talk to her again!" Becky turned her head away and looked back to the road. "Rally Vincent, where are you? You better be okay," Becky thought to herself. 


	4. Shadow Man

Episode Four  
Shadow Man  
  
Rally opened her eyes to see a white ceiling above her. She glanced around the brick-walled room and noticed that she had never seen this place before. "Where am I?" She asked herself. She looked around the bare room. "I didn't get drunk and sleep with some guy, did I? Oh, it's just like the movies! Crap!" She sat up in bed but felt a pain in her stomach. "Ouch!" She said aloud. She looked down at herself. She still had her dress on; that was a good sign. She saw that she was in one of those pull-out couch beds with some blankets and pillows. She heard a sound in the distance so she crawled out of bed with a blanket wrapped around her. She took a few steps down the brick hallway and found herself in the kitchen.  
"You're finally awake." The man said. He stood next to the stove cooking something for breakfast. He was in normal clothes: blue jeans and a black sweater, except he wore a black face mask. The mask made him look just like a ninja or bank robber, take your pick.  
"Who are you?" Rally asked, pulling the blanket closer around her.  
The man stirred the eggs he was making with a fork. "My name is Akira Shinagawa."  
"What am I doing here?"  
"You passed out after those men attacked you. I brought you here after that." Akira wiped his hands on a towel. "You hungry?"  
"Yeah, starving." Rally shook her head. "Wait a minute! Where exactly is here anyway?"  
"This is my apartment."  
Rally looked around. "Don't got much stuff."  
Akira laughed. "I practically live in my car. All my stuff is in there."  
Rally took a deep breath. "We did do anything, did we? Or like nothing happened when I wasn't in my right mind, I hope." Akira turned toward her. "What kind of weirdo do you take me for? That's just gross!" Akira turned back to the stove. "You passed out, I picked you up, brought you here, put you to bed, and you've been there ever since." "How long has that been?" "Let's see. That was Wednesday night, and it's Friday morning now." "Gosh." Rally rubbed her eyes. "I guess I was out cold for a long time." "Yeah," Akira said. "I also see that your arm is wounded too." Rally looked at her right arm and saw new bandages. "Thanks." "Not a problem. Now sit. Breakfast is done." Akira prepared a plate for Rally and handed it to her. "It's been a long time since I've had a home-cooked meal." She sat down with her plate of eggs and bacon and grabbed a fork. Akira sat down too and placed his plate on the table. Unlike Rally, he paused and closed his eyes for a moment. Rally, feeling a little guilty, put her fork down and waited for Akira to be done. Akira opened his eyes and looked up. Her lifted his mask just to reveal his mouth. He took his fork and starting eating his eggs first. "So what were you doing in a place like the Shack?" "Perhaps, I should as you that?" Akira smirked. "Research." "Research?" "There's trouble brewing in this town." Akira sighed. "Something big is about to happen, but I don't know what." "You're talking about Michael De Luca, aren't you?" "How did you know?" Akira asked, very surprised. "I've been working on that case myself. I was at Mario's Pizza the night of the explosion." "What is your name?" "Rally Vincent." "Ah, the greatest bounty bunter in all Illinois! You're a living legend. Convicts utter your name in fear." "Enough with the flattery. All you men are the same," Rally said seriously, sensing another flirtation attempt by a man. "What do you know?" Akira smirked again. "The reason I got an apartment in this building is because Michael De Luca lives...well, lived...on this floor." "He did?" Rally asked in surprise. "What do you know." "I discovered his connections to the Mafia and his little hideout. But apparently, you know all that too." "Why did they want Mario Vanzetti Jr. killed?" "Vanzetti owed a pretty hefty loan to the Mafia." "To some guy named Michelo Chariot, right?" "Right. And plus, Vanzetti was in the Mafia during his younger days. I heard that the Mafia wanted to get rid of him before he squealed to the police." "So their big plans were going to be blown if Vanzetti got to the police. That's why they killed him." "Correct." "Do you know anything about Michelo Chariot?" "Not much. All I know is that he's high up there in the rank of command." Rally sat and processed the new information for a few moments. "Say, Akira, what reason are you on the case for?" "Personal reasons," Akira answered shortly. "Oh," Rally uttered. She thought for a moment. "Say, the name, Akira Shinagawa, that sounds Asian or something." "It's Japanese. I'm from Japan." "Oh, May's boyfriend is Japanese." Rally thought for a moment. "MAY! BECKY! OH!" "What wrong?" "May and Becky don't know where I am!" "Who are May and Becky?" "My friends. Can I please use your phone?" "Yeah, sure." Akira reached back and grabbed the cordless phone off the counter. He handed it to Rally. Rally frantically dialed the number to her house. "They're probably stealing my stuff as we speak." Akira laughed. "Is that all you think of your friends?"  
  
May picked up the phone on the first ring since she was sitting next to it ever since Rally was missing. "RALLY?" "May, it's me." "RALLY! IT'S REALLY YOU! BECKY! IT'S RALLY!" Becky ran over to May and kneeled next to her. "Is she okay?" "Rally! Are you okay! Where were you? Rally! I thought you were dead, Rally!" May started to cry. "May! I'm fine! Get a grip! Look, I'll be home soon, okay?" "Rally come home now! Please!" "I'll be home soon. Bye." Rally hung up. "Rally!" May hollered.  
  
Rally stood up from the table and set the cordless phone down. "I better get going. It's probably a long walk back to my house. It was..." "Nonsense. I'll drive you." Akira stood up and pulled down his mask. "Besides, you shouldn't be walking with the injuries you've got. You might become faint and pass out again." "No, I'll be okay. I'm fine. Really." "Too bad, I'm driving." Akira grabbed Rally's wrist and pulled her along to the door. He grabbed his black trench coat off the hanger and headed out the door with Rally." "I can take care of myself, you know!" Rally hissed. "Just like you took care of yourself in the club the other night?" Akira asked, brutally honest. Rally opened her mouth to say something, but then she stopped. Deep down inside, she knew Akira had a point. They walked in silence down to the basement floor where the cars were kept. They headed down the lot until Akira approached a black 1969 Z28 Camaro with white stripes. Rally stopped for a moment, very impressed as she racked her eyes over the car. "Yours?" "Yep." "Impressive. "Thanks. Get in." Rally hated to sit shotgun rather than drive; however, for a car like this, she would be honored to sit in shotgun. She slid into the car and buckled up. "Did I mention this is a nice car?" Akira laughed. "Sounds like someone has a crush. I suppose if you weren't so woozy, I'd let you drive it." Rally broke away from her feelings of fascination of the car. "And I suppose you let all your little girlfriends drive it? You think it's cute or something?" Akira looked at her. "Uh, no. I don't have girlfriends. What have you got about against men anyway? This is the second time you've jumped me, and you've only been awake less than two hours." Akira drove away from the apartment building. "You're an honest one aren't you?" Rally hissed. "Always blurting something out instead of keeping it in..." "I figure that I might as well cut through the crap, and get to the point. Don't you think?" "Well, yes, I suppose so." Rally looked out the window. "You're still bothered, aren't you?" "Look. It's my own problem. Not yours." "Alright. I can respect that." Akira looked forward. "Where am I going?" "Make a right." Akira turned right as Rally directed. "Is your place far from here?" "No. It's not. Just make a left at the stop light." "Okay." Akira did as directed. "So what do you like to do for fun?" "Nothing." "Hmmm..." Akira thought. "I bet." "What is that supposed to mean?" Rally hissed. "I thought you agreed it was always good to be honest?" Rally sighed. "I like to shoot guns and drive cars." "Interesting." "Now you're not being honest!" "What?" Akira asked. "Most men would have jumped out of the car by now." "What is it with you and men? Are you in one of those feminist groups?" "No!" Rally said. "I'm just sick and tired of guys hitting on me all the time! Everywhere I go, it happens!" "I'm not hitting on you!" Akira exclaimed. "However, the way you keep talking about it, I think you want me to." "I DO NOT!" Rally exclaimed. "Okay! Okay! I was kidding! Chill!" Akira said. They came to the train stop and had to wait for the train again. "That's not my idea of a joke!" Rally hissed. "Sorry. I was only trying to seduce you." Rally smacked Akira in the arm. "Watch it!" "Ouch!" Akira grabbed his arm. "You ever thought about being on American Gladiators?" Rally looked furious for a moment but then her face lightened up. A small laugh escaped her mouth then she looked down at her feet. "You know, I'm only kidding around, right?" Rally looked up. "Yeah, I know." Akira slammed the accelerator and the Camaro jumped forward.  
  
They cruised down the street making everything outside look like a blur. Rally pulled a lock of hair back behind her ear as the breeze from the open window twirled her hair around. "Now this is my kind of ride." "Yeah," Akira uttered. "Turn here." "Okay." "There's my house." Akira pulled into the driveway of the house. "Those idiots! Why did they leave the garage door open! They're just asking for a five-finger garage sale!" Rally exclaimed. "Just pull into the garage. It looks like it'll rain today." "You're very concerned about the car, aren't you?" "Well, it's classic." Akira did as directed and pulled into the garage. His eyes locked on the beautiful 1967 SHELBY GT 500, and they remained there even after Akira pulled forward. "Wow." "Yeah." "You've got nice taste." "So do you." Rally hopped out of the car and headed to the door that led into the house. "You coming?" "Uh, yeah." Akira got out of the car and followed behind Rally. The door Rally was headed to burst open and May leapt out. She jumped into Rally's arms and squeezed tightly. "Oh, Rally! I missed you so much!" "May! Get a grip! Get off me!" She set May down on the ground. "I'm fine and I'm here now, aren't I?" Becky stood in the doorway. "Where were you?" May looked back behind Rally. "RALLY! IT'S A ROBBER!" Rally gave May a dirty look. "Why would I let a robber drive me home? Think about it?" May walked up to Akira. "Who the heck are you?" "Akira Shinagawa." "What's with the get-up?" "Get-up?" "The mask! What are you hiding! You know, I saw Mortal Kombat! I bet you're one of those evil ninja!" "May! Stop it!" Rally hissed. Akira laughed. "I've also seen Gulliver's Travels. You gotta watch out for them midgets!" Rally laughed. "Hey!" May exclaimed. "For your information, I'm seventeen years old!" "If that's what you've got to tell yourself." "I am! Rally! Tell him!" Rally sighed. "She really is. Let's go inside now, okay."' Everyone proceeded into the house. "Uh, Rally..." Becky stuttered. "What?" "You had some messages when you were gone." "From whom?" "Uh...Harry..." Rally screamed and stomped off into the house. "Who's Harry," Akira asked curiously. "Rally's boyfriend!" May exclaimed. "HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Rally hollered from the other room. "Boyfriend?" Akira questioned. "Oh, he's some guy that won't leave Rally alone." Becky said. "Why? You interested in her?" May asked. "No." "Well, good, you're a jerk anyway!" May walked off. Becky stood there with Akira for a moment. "Yeah, you'll get used to it in few weeks or so." "Who says I'm sticking around?" "Please, you're already involved in the case. It's like those two just sucker me into helping them every time. I'm sure it'll be the same for you. But don't expect to get paid though. Oh, and I hope you really like pizza and Chinese food." "Hmmm..." Akira stood there and thought for a moment.  
  
Rally went into her bedroom to find a change of clothes. She grabbed a some old, faded, blue jeans and a white "Gunsmith Cats" tee-shirt. She looked up into the mirror and saw May's reflection in the doorway. "May?" She turned around. May silently took a step forward and latched onto Rally with a hug. She buried her face into Rally's shoulder and held onto Rally." "Uh...May?" Rally stuttered, taken by surprise by the action. She felt uncomfortable and didn't know what to do with her arms as May was wrapped around her waist. "Rally, you scared me. Please don't do that to me again. You're all I got, Rally. Please, don't scare me like that. I thought you were dead. Then the last thing I would have said to you is that I never wanted to talk to you again!" "May." Rally bit her lip. May started to cry. She cried harder and harder into Rally's clothing. Rally patted May's back. "I'm okay now. You don't have to worry." "Rally..." 


	5. New Roommate

Episode Five  
  
New Roommate  
  
"You want a Pepsi?" Rally asked standing in front of the open refrigerator.  
"No, thanks," Akira replied.  
Rally bent over and grabbed herself a drink. She kicked the refrigerator door closed and took a seat at the table while opening her Pepsi.  
"So tell me why you, a Japanese guy, have connections to here in Chicago." Rally said, feeling rather nosy.  
"I got records of some kind about a shipment between Osaka, London, and the United States. Chicago is also linked to that shipment. In fact, the source traces back to Chicago as the ring-leader of the operation."  
"Shipment of what?"  
"Don't know. All documents were labeled as "supplies." I have no clue what are in those boats. But considering all the cover up, it must be something illegal."  
"True." Rally nodded. "But what connection is there to London?"  
"I'm not sure. Possibly, they unload cargo there too. But, I'm just not sure about that right now."  
"I wish Becky wouldn't have went home. We need her to look up more information. I'll just have to call her later."  
"She can do that?"  
"Yeah..." Rally spat. "For a price..."  
May walked into the kitchen wearing her lounge clothes, which were pink bed pants and a white tee-shirt with a kitten on it. She glared at Akira then opened the refrigerator to get a soda. She stood up once she had her Pepsi then glared at Akira again while walking out of the room.  
"She really doesn't like me, does she?"  
"Well, you called her a midget. She won't get over that for days."  
"Oh, maybe it's because she feels seduced by me."  
Rally laughed. "Would you cut it out!"  
"I can't. I can't turn off the way you feel about me."  
"The way I feel about you?" Rally half laughed. "Have you ever thought about being on a Soap Opera? I mean you're better than most the actors on May's shows."  
"Yeah, but who's pretending?"  
"Cut it out!" Rally laughed.  
"Sorry." May screamed. "What the..." Akira and Rally both ran into the living room to see what was wrong with May. "They turned off Young and the Restless!" May screamed again. "I can't believe it! That so not fair!" "And I thought there was something wrong," Rally sighed. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we interrupt your television hour to bring you live coverage from Chicago IL. Terrace View Apartments have exploded on the account of planted bombs. Local authorities..." "WHAT!" "Is that where you live?" Rally asked.  
"YEAH!" Akira ran for the garage door. "You guys coming?"  
"I'll grab my gun." Rally ran upstairs.  
"Wait for me!" May followed to change her clothes.  
"Geeze, girl's take too long!" Akira sighed and walked out into the garage.  
  
"What is taking her so long?" Rally asked.  
"Who knows," Akira uttered.  
May hoped into the garage then opened the door to the Camaro. She hoped in and once she did, Akira slammed the accelerator and flew in reverse out of the driveway.  
"May flew forward and hit her head on the seat. "OUCH! SLOW DOWN!"  
Once Akira was out of the driveway, he put the car into drive and slammed the accelerator again. The car jumped forward again and May flew back into the seat.  
"What do you think is going on?" Rally asked.  
"They're probably destroying all evidence from Michael De Luca," Akira said. He swung a right turn at a speed that was way too dangerous for the turn. The car fishtailed a little, sending May to hit the right side of the back seat then tossing her back to the left. "WOULD YOU SLOW DOWN! PLEASE!"  
"Why would they just blow up the building instead of destroying Michael's Apartment. Aren't they just making more of a mess?"  
"But it only Michael's apartment was destroyed, then the police would have more of a lead. With a bomb destroying the whole building, it could have been for a number of reasons."  
"I suppose you're right."  
Akira took another turn way too fast. May bounced back from side to side again while Rally and Akira sat perfectly fine as they talked.  
"Would you slow down! PLEASE!" May hollered just before she smacked into the back of Rally's seat. "PLEASE!"  
Akira pulled up to a parking spot near the pile of burning rubble. He slammed on the breaks, which caused May to hit her head again. He then put the car in park, grabbed the keys, and ran out to look at the damage.  
Rally hopped out of the car. "May! Are you coming or not?"  
May laid on the back seat, completely sore. "I'll be there in a minute."  
"Fine." Rally ran off to join up with Akira.  
Akira stopped and looked at all the damage. "Great. Completely blown to pieces! Just great!"  
Rally ran up behind him. "Geeze, there's nothing left."  
"Yeah, you're telling me."  
May walked up behind him. "This is where you live?"  
"Well...lived." Akira sighed. "I suppose I better go see if there's anything left at all." He walked off to go rummage through the wreck.  
"Whoever is in this operation must be pretty serious about getting things done," May said.  
"Yeah, I can tell if there just sloppy or geniuses," Rally said. "It looks like I've got my work cut out for me."  
"Rally!" May hissed. "Even after you get shot, beaten, and almost killed, you're still gonna be on this case?"  
"Yeah, of course. Why not?"  
"Uh, why not? Because you've almost killed yourself doing it! Why not let ninja dork handle it? It involves him more than you!"  
"Ninja dork? That's a new one."  
May gazed around. "Hey, look! It's Devin! He's coming over here!"  
"Oh, geeze! Can I run?"  
"Nope, he's coming right at us. What do you got against him anyway?"  
  
"He's arrogant!"  
"And you're not?"  
"Hi, girls."  
Rally and May ceased their conversation and faked a smile. "Hi, Devin!"  
"What are you girls doing here?"  
"Just checking out the view," Rally said. "It's a little hobby of ours!"  
"Oh, is that right?" Devin smiled. He placed his right hand on his hip and touched his belt with his fingers.  
May looked at Devin's hand then looked up to Devin's face. "I saw on a TV show that when guys touch their belts, they're thinking about se..."  
Rally quickly covered May's mouth. "That's enough out of you, May." Rally faked another smile and pushed her hands harder against May's mouth.  
  
Devin quickly put his hand down. "Well, uh..."  
May bit Rally's hand to get free.  
"Ouch! You brat!"  
"Serves you right!"  
Devin rubbed the back of his head. "You know, Rally, since I happen to see you a lot and everything..."  
Rally looked at Devin strangely.  
"I was that we should go on a date sometime."  
"I don't..."  
May grabbed Rally's mouth. "She'd love to!"  
Rally pushed May's hand away. "No, I don't think..."  
May took a hold of Rally's arm and twisted it, a martial arts move that Kenny showed her. "You'd love to go on a date with Devin! Wouldn't you, Rally?" May twisted harder on Rally's sore arm.  
Rally glared at May as she tried to fight through the pain in her arm.  
"There! It's settled! You guys are going on a date!"  
"I'll pick you up Monday at eight then," Devin said. He walked off.  
May released Rally's arm but then Rally's left arm flew into May's stomach. "OHHHH! RALLY!"  
"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?" Rally screamed. "THAT WAS EXTREMELY LOW, EVEN FOR YOU, MAY HOPKINS!"  
"WELL, I'M JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU, RALLY VINCENT!"  
"HELP ME? YOU'RE JUST CONCERNED ABOUT YOURSELF!"  
Akira walked up to the girls. "Hey, what's going on? What's the matter?"  
"Rally's upset because she's going on a date with Devin Park!"  
Rally turned her back to Akira and May. "Devin Park?" Akira questioned.  
"That guy over there." May pointed.  
Akira looked. "Oh."  
"What, you jealous?" May asked.  
Rally glanced over her shoulder at Akira and May.  
"No, I guess not."  
Rally turned her head back.  
"Well, good! You're a jerk anyway!" May spat.  
"Still angry about the midget thing, aren't you?"  
"No, you're just a jerk!"  
Akira laughed.  
Rally turned back around. "So did you find anything left? What are you going to do now since your place is gone?"  
"Well, I'll be okay. Most of my stuff is in my car anyway. I'll just stay in there for a few days until I find something else."  
"No, absolutely not!" Rally said. "People get murdered like that!"  
"I'll be okay."  
"No, you're coming to stay with us," Rally said.  
"What!" May exclaimed. "Hold the phone! Family meeting!" May took a hold of Rally's arm and dug her a few feet away from Akira. "What are you thinking?"  
"He's got nowhere to go."  
"That's not our problem!"  
"Look, May, he can help us with the case. Then he'll leave. It won't be that long at all. Besides, the more people helping, the faster we'll get done."  
"But he's a jerk!"  
Rally sighed. "He's just very sarcastic. You've just gotta get used to it."  
"Yeah, well, what's under that mask? Huh? He's probably some ugly mutant who wants to cover his disgusting face!"  
"May! That's not very nice! I'm sure he's got his reasons for his disguise."  
"But he's a guy!"  
"So?"  
"Do you realize the lifestyle changes we're going to have to make? You're actually gonna have to buy pajamas! You can't be running around the house in your underwear anymore! We couldn't even have half the conversations we have anymore. It'll change everything!"  
"But he can help with the case. It'll only be a week or two. I promise!" Rally said. "Then everything will go back to normal."  
"Well, he better get his fair share of chores!" May exclaimed.  
"Don't worry about it."  
Rally and May walked back over to Akira.  
"You know, I really don't want to impose on you..."  
"Too bad! You're staying with us," Rally said. She grabbed the keys to Akira's Camaro from his hand. "I'm taking you up on that driving offer."  
Akira smirked, however it was hidden behind the mask. "Fine."  
  
Rally, smiling the whole way, pulled up to her house in the Camaro. "I love this car! Makes me wish I had the money to buy one just like it."  
"I wouldn't mind having a Shelby, like yourself," Akira stated.  
May looked over the seat. "Hey, it's that Harry's car?"  
"OH! NO!" Rally hit the accelerator and zoomed right past her house. "We're going out for dinner!"  
"Chinese food!"  
"No, pizza!"  
"Hey, the week's over! It's my turn!"  
"From all the hassle you've put me through, I deserve pizza!"  
"No! Chinese food! I am sick of pizza!"  
"Well, I hate Chinese food!"  
"How about hamburgers?" Akira suggested.  
"Hamburgers? No way!" Rally and May said.  
"Chinese food!"  
"I have to pay for dinner so I say pizza! Final story!"  
"Rally!" 


	6. Assassination Plot

Episode Six  
  
Assassination Plot  
  
May yawned as she turned the pages to the latest edition of seventeen magazine. She stopped to look at a picture then kept turning. Rally pulled out merchandise from the display case and polished each piece while Akira swept the cement floor with a broom.  
It was another slow day at Gunsmith Cats; only two customers stopped the entire morning. Rally spent most of the time doing small jobs that needed to be done while Akira cleaned the place to shine. However, May sat reading magazines most of the day and once, she got up to make a pot of coffee.  
The door cracked open and the customer bell rang. The three of them suddenly turned their heads toward the door."  
"Oh, it's just you," Rally said, disappointed.  
"Thanks, Rally, thanks." Becky walked into the store.  
"What's up, Beck?" May asked.  
"I've come to a stalemate on the case. I don't know where to look next." Becky sighed. "There just isn't anymore information on Michael De Luca and his gang."  
"What about the police investigation?" May asked.  
"We've probably got more information than they do," Akira said.  
May shot a dirty look at Akira. "I didn't ask you!"  
"Cut it out, May!" Rally hissed.  
Becky walked behind the counter and took a seat on one of the busted, desk chairs. "To tell the truth, Akira's right. Anyway, so what's going on?"  
"Not much." May sighed again and dropped her magazine. "We've only had two customers all morning."  
"Bummer."  
Rally walked out from behind the counter and stood in the middle of the store. "You're telling me. Maybe I should make this inventory week."  
The door flew open and a pair of arms wrapped around Rally to hug her. Rally spun around ready to hit whatever was behind her, but stopped once she saw whom it was.  
"Rally! You're okay!"  
"Harry! What are you doing here?" Rally said, trying not to growl.  
"I came to see if you're okay! I called and stopped by your house and I couldn't find you anywhere!" Harry exclaimed, dressed in a Captain Kirk uniform.  
"Harry, I think we need to talk..."  
"I bought tickets for that Science Fiction Convention today! It starts in an hour! We could go together! I've got a Princess Leia costume for you!"  
Rally sighed. "Harry, look at me."  
"Yes?"  
"We need to talk."  
Harry stood without moving. His breathing grew heavier and heavier as moments passed by. "I've heard those words before." His breathing reached the point of hyperventilation. "You're breaking up with me!" Tears started to pour.  
"Harry, I..."  
"You're just like the rest of them!" Harry turned around and started to run out of the store. As he did, he was met by an entering customer. The two crashed.  
Harry stood up and helped the customer up. He looked at the customer he knocked over to find her dressed in Mrs. Robinson from Lost in Space.  
"I'm looking for the Science Fiction Convention."  
May jumped off her stool. "The Science Fiction Convention? Why I do believe Harry was going there, weren't you?"  
"Well, yes." Harry fiddled with his glasses.  
May wrapped her arm around Harry. "Well, Harry, why don't you take this young woman to the Science Convention with you?"  
The tall, skinny, nerdy woman smiled and Harry smiled too. The two walked out together, talking about their costumes and Science Fiction."  
"That's the best thing you've done all week, May," Rally said. "To be quite honest, I'm surprised."  
"Don't be! That's now eight marks for Matchmaker May,"  
"And also the number of break-ups in the future," Akira said.  
Rally burst with laughter.  
"Shut up! Nobody asked you! You probably couldn't even get a date if you paid them off! Especially since you're hiding your hideous mutant face under that mask!"  
"May!" Rally and Becky exclaimed.  
"Oh, I could get a date if I wanted."  
May half-laughed. "With who?"  
"You! I know it, May! You can't resist me!"  
"Dream on! You're not even half the man that Kenny is..." May stomped off to the back room.  
"You ticked her off," Becky said.  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
Rally winked her eye and aimed her gun at the target. She fired and hit her paper enemy through the heart. She smiled as she pulled off her glasses. "Nice." She set the gun she used on the table and grabbed another one.  
"What is the reason for shooting all these guns?" Becky leaned over and asked May. "Besides the sick fun and pleasure she gets out of it."  
"Rally tests all the new guns that come in by shooting them. She wants to make sure her merchandise is in top condition."  
"I suppose so."  
Rally grabbed another gun and planted her feet. She took a deep breath and focused on her target. She closed one of her eyes and set aim. She stared at her point of aim and took her time to make this shot.  
"Hey, babe." A pair of hands rested on Rally's hips.  
Rally jumped and fired at the same time, just hitting the top left corner of the paper target. She turned around still holding her gun and found Devin Park with his hands up in the air.  
"Easy there, killer!" Her grabbed the gun away from the startled Rally. He set the gun down. "Roy said you were dangerous, but I didn't think that dangerous."  
"What are you doing here?" Rally asked. She looked over at her friends. "And why didn't anyone tell me you were coming up behind me?"  
May and Becky shrugged.  
"Well, I'm here now, aren't I?" Devin smirked. He wrapped his right arm around Rally's shoulder. "You're just so cute when you're startled."  
"Yeah, cute..." Rally mumbled, not liking Devin's arm around her.  
Akira walked up with his broom when he saw that Rally, Devin, May, and Becky were gathered together in a group. Devin pulled out his gun and pointed it at Akira. "Who are you?"  
"Put the gun down! It's okay!" Rally said.  
Devin kept his gun up. "I asked you a question, sock head!"  
"Devin! It's okay!" Rally pushed Devin's arm down. "His name is Akira Shinagawa. He's just working here."  
"Well, who's he?" Akira asked.  
"Uh, this is Devin Park..."  
Devin pulled Rally closer to him. "I'm her boyfriend."  
"Hey, wait a minute!" Rally spat.  
Becky and May screamed and giggled. "Boyfriend!" May then smiled. "So when were you gonna tell me about this, Rally, you sly girl?"  
"But I..."  
"Oh!" Becky exclaimed. "It's so fabulous! You two have so much in common! You both like guns, you both work to protect the law..."  
"And we love cars," Devin said. "Roy told me. I figured you'd like to see my new Corvette. It's green, you know."  
"Corvette?" Rally asked.  
"Yeah, a new 1995 Corvette."  
"Oh," Rally said, turned off by a newer, and in her opinion, junky car.  
Devin looked down the shooting gallery to see paper targets. "Oh, I see you're practicing your marksmanship." Devin smirked and rested his right arm at his waist again, touching his belt with his fingers.  
"You're doing the belt thing again," May commented.  
"May! Stop!" Rally hissed under her breath.  
Devin dropped his hand. "Well, anyway..." He pulled out his gun. "I had the best shot in my entire class at the Academy." He took a shot and hit the target in the middle of the throat. He smirked once he saw the shot.  
"Is that good, Rally?" Becky asked.  
"Fairly good..."  
"It was a great shot!" Devin interrupted Rally. "Many couldn't make that shot."  
Akira half-laughed as he swept the floor.  
Devin's head jerked toward Akira. "You think you can do better, sock head?" Devin asked, irritated.  
"I didn't say that, now did I?" Akira kept sweeping.  
"Why don't you get over here and try, big mouth?"  
Akira stopped sweeping and rested the broom against the wall. He walked over to the gun table. "You've got 9mm, right?"  
"Yeah, so?" Devin asked.  
Akira picked up one of the guns off the table. He walked over and stood in the shooting lane. He took a moment to aim then fired his gun. He then walked away, set the gun back down, and grabbed the broom.  
"He missed completely!" May said. "There's still only one hole." May laughed. "Serves the jerk right."  
Rally pushed a button and the paper target slid forward towards them. She grabbed a hold of the target then gasped.  
"What?" Everyone asked.  
"Devin, give me one of your bullets."  
Devin dug into his pocket and pulled out a bullet as Rally requested. Rally held it up to the hole in the paper. The hole was bigger than the bullet could have made.  
"He didn't miss," Rally uttered, completely astonished.  
"What do you mean, he didn't miss?" May asked.  
Devin's bullets were smaller than Akira's bullets. Akira's bullet went through Devin's making the hole bigger."  
"But who the heck has that kind of accuracy?" May asked.  
"Apparently, Akira does," Becky said.  
"Anyway," Devin said, changing the subject. "I have go to Richard Harris speech tomorrow and I was..."  
"Richard Harris?" May asked.  
"The newly elected Mayor of Chicago."  
"Oh, right!"  
"Anyway, I was thinking that you could come with me, Rally. Then we could go out afterwards."  
"Well, actually, I'm busy with inventory tomorrow with the store..."  
"No, you're not!" May exclaimed. "Becky and I will take care of it!"  
  
"What?" Becky questioned. "I don't work here!"  
"Don't worry, I'll take care of it!" May said. "You two should go out!"  
"But, I really need..." Rally started to say.  
"It's settled!" Devin said. "I'll pick you up at eleven tomorrow morning!"  
Rally groaned as she dropped her head.  
"I gotta go, babe." Devin ran off. "It's time to get back to the station for paperwork and all that stuff."  
Rally screamed once Devin left the shooting gallery.  
"What is wrong with you!" May exclaimed. "He really likes you!"  
"Ha!" Rally balked. "People like that only care about one thing! He probably just wants free guns or something!"  
"Oh, I'm sure that's what he's after!" May rolled her eyes. "However, I can't vouch for anything else he might want." May gave Rally a slap on the bottom and winked at her. "You better watch out, hon."  
"Stop being a pervert!" Rally hissed.  
"What? That's just the way guys are! You know it's true!" May laughed. "Is there a dirty side to Rally we've never seen before?"  
"Cut it out, May!"  
"Ahem," Akira said while look at the girls. They turned around and remembered that Akira was still in the room with them. Rally blushed deep red and stormed off out of the shooting gallery. May and Becky followed quickly behind.  
Akira shook his head. "Girls!"  
  
Rally came down the stairs in her navy blue blazer and skirt set. She looked like a lawyer going into a courtroom with her outfit. She carried the blue shoes that had a small heel to them as she walked down the stairs.  
"Why didn't you wear the dress I laid out for you?" May asked. "You'll catch a lot more flies with honey than with vinegar."  
"But I'm not catching flies, am I?"  
"Right, you've already caught one."  
Rally rolled her eyes as she headed into the kitchen. She walked over to the sink and turned on the water. A white door from the kitchen opened and Akira came out of his bedroom. "Hey, Rally."  
Rally turned around and looked at Akira. "Spare bedroom working for you okay? May insisted we put you down here rather than upstairs. I know it gets a little cold in there sometimes though."  
"No, it's fine. Thank you." He came out of the room wearing his mask and black trench coat.  
"What are you doing today?" Rally asked as she filled a glass of water for herself.  
"I'm going shopping. You people have no food around here."  
"We do too!" Rally spat. "There's frozen pizza in the freezer!"  
"Real food, Rally. Real food."  
Rally shut the water off and started drinking her glass of water. She set the glass down when she was finished and sighed.  
"Something wrong?"  
"I really don't want to go today."  
"On your date with your boyfriend?"  
"He's not really my boyfriend. Everyone just keeps pushing it to be like that."  
"Why did you just throw a fit yesterday or refuse to go with him?"  
"Well, I figure I could try to pump him for information about the case. His arrogance tends to get the best out of him."  
"True," Akira uttered.  
"I don't know what to do though."  
"What do you mean?"  
Rally sighed. "I'm just not used to this kind of stuff. I don't really like all this dating. I mean, it's just that..." Rally stopped and half-laughed. "Well, I shouldn't load you down with all my problems..."  
"No, it's okay."  
"What do you think about all this?" Rally asked.  
"Well, you should do whatever makes you happy. Within reason, of course."  
"Of course."  
Rally shook her head. "I'm just being crazy. If you think about it, Becky's right. We've got everything in common."  
"Everything?"  
"Well..."  
A car horn honked. Rally looked out the window to see a green 1995 corvette parked out on the street. "Well, that's my ride." She slipped on her shoes and exited out the kitchen door.  
Akira looked down at the kitchen table and took a seat. He pondered for a moment as he looked at his hands.  
"What do you think you're doing?" May hissed as she stood in the doorway.  
"What?" Akira looked over at her.  
May stormed into the kitchen. "Don't you for even one second think that I don't know what you're doing!" She walked over to the counter and turned on the coffee pot.  
"What are you talking about?"  
"You're trying to split Devin and Rally up!" May opened the cupboard and grabbed the coffee can.  
"It doesn't sound like they're really together anyway."  
"They are so!"  
"She doesn't even really like him! I didn't ask her to tell me anything! She started talking to me about it!"  
"She likes him! She just doesn't realize it yet! They have everything in common! She'll learn to like him! Okay!"  
"Just because you have everything in common doesn't make you compatible. You should know that, May."  
May turned around and glared at Akira. "Do you want to know what I know?"  
"What?"  
May stepped towards the table and got into Akira's face. "Rally Vincent is way too good for you, Akira," May slowly said, making sure every word cut.  
Akira looked down at the table. "You're right, she is. But I'm not looking at her in that way, now am I? I'm tying to be her friend. She started talking...I started listening...unlike someone around here."  
"Yeah, well, you better just not be looking at her." May turned around and went back to the coffee pot.  
  
Rally stood in the masses of the crowd as the newly elected Mayor of Chicago, Richard Harris, gave a speech. The site of the speech caused memories to flood back in as she remembered she was shot at on the very same stage. She shook her head and turned her attention back to the speech. She looked at the corner of the stage to see Devin and the other Police officers talking. Her eyes settled on Richard Harris, and she tried to pay attention to the speech.  
"As Mayor, I believe it's time we roll up our sleeves and clean up these streets! It's time to get the filth out of our city! No more drugs! No more gangs! No more violence! I say, no more! No more!"  
The crowd starting chanting the Mayor's slogan, "No More!" Rally rubbed her face with her hand. "I wish I would have brought some ibuprofen," Rally thought.  
Suddenly, a gunshot went off. Everyone in the crowd ducked. Rally looked up as she was being pushed down by other people. She saw Richard Harris, being hit the right side of his chest at an angle. Knowing a lot about guns, she looked at the angle the shot must have came from. She saw a dark figure on top of the building to the left of her. "Bingo!" She ran out of the crowd towards the building. She ran towards the left side of the building and started climbing up the construction ladders. She managed to get to the top of the building rather fast, but she cut her arm on a piece of sharp metal. "Ouch!" She hissed. She found the figure packed up and ready to go. He was a tall man with red hair and a brown trench coat. He carried a metal briefcase and smoked a cigarette as he walked across the top of the building. Rally stayed put on the construction set up and waited until the man exited the building. He jumped into a 1995 Ferrari F- 355-GTS Coupe, tossed his cigarette butt out the window, and drove off. Rally stared at the license plate. "247-MIC," She said to herself.  
Rally climbed down and walked back to the stage where the assassination took place. She thought long and hard as she walked.  
"Where were you?"  
Rally looked up. "Devin...I...uh...had to go to the restroom."  
"Oh," Devin said. "I thought maybe you were one of those people who got hurt from the stampeding crowd." He looked at Rally's arm. "Hey, your arm's cut."  
Rally looked down at her left arm. "Oh, it is," She said. "I must have cut it when I was climbing," She thought to herself.  
"Looks bad," Devin said.  
"It does," Rally said. "Hope I don't need stitches. Perhaps, I should go to the hospital and get that taken care of."  
"Well, that hospital is about five blocks away. You can make it before sun down," Devin said.  
"Couldn't you just drive me?"  
"No, I got stuff to do. You'll be fine! Now go on, babe. I'll call you sometime this week. We'll have dinner." Devin walked off.  
Rally turned around and started walking. "Men! I'll have to take the stupid train home!" She spat as she held her bleeding arm.  
  
Rally sat at the kitchen table cleaning her new cut while talking on the phone. "Yeah, Becky, license plate 247-MIC. Thanks. Bye." Rally hung up the phone. "This case keeps getting stranger and stranger by the minute."  
"Yeah," Akira said. He looked at the cut again. "Are you sure you don't want me to take you to the doctor? Because I can just go fire up the car..."  
"I'll be okay. It's not as bad as it looks. I just gotta watch out for infection. Besides, you probably just wanna drive my Cobra, don't you?"  
"Yes, Rally, you have discovered the depth of my shallowness."  
Rally smirked. "In fact, you're so shallow that if you were a puddle and I stood in you, I wouldn't get my feet wet."  
"Ouch!"  
"Remember, all in good fun!" Rally wrapped cloth around her arm.  
"Right, all in good fun."  
"But anyway, I'll be okay. I'm just not sure what to think about this recent turn of events. I wonder if it had anything to do with our case."  
"I bet it did," Akira sighed. "I bet it was the big event that the Mafia was planning for a while now."  
"Michael De Luca must have known about it! That's why they killed him and blew up the apartment building!"  
"That's what I'm thinking. We'll, just have to see if Becky's license plate report adds to the case or anything," Akira said. "And I bet it will."  
"Yeah, I'm sure." Rally stared at the wooden table for a few moments.  
"Hey, Rally? You awake?"  
Rally shook her head. "Uh, yeah...I just got a lot on my mind now." 


	7. Dangerous Information

Episode Seven  
Dangerous Information  
  
"Oh, Rachel! No! It's a trap! You mustn't believe him! Rachel!" May hollered at the television as she watched her favorite soap opera. "Vicktor is a communist! Don't believe him! He wants to kill the President!"  
Akira looked at Rally with his head cocked to the side. "What is she yelling at the television for?" Akira sat at the dining room table with Rally.  
Rally shook her head. "It's the soap opera channel. She'll be like this all afternoon. I should have known better than to get satellite."  
"Save her Miguel, you handsome Mexican man!" May screamed. "No! Rachel! Don't go with Vicktor!"  
"Well, it least it's cultured. Russian and Mexican, can't beat that," Akira said. "Alas, no Japanese people."  
"No! It's Takeda Taku, and his evil ninja gang!" May exclaimed.  
"I spoke too soon," Akira said.  
"Get them, Miguel! Oh no! Get up, Miguel! Yes! That's right! Hit him!"  
Rally gathered all the papers she was reviewing and organized them together. She put them away in her folder. "I wish Becky would hurry up and call. She sure knows how to take her time."  
"Patience," Akira said. "She'll call when she calls."  
Rally sighed. "Yeah, I guess."  
Akira got up from the table and walked into the kitchen.  
"Hey, May?"  
"What is it, Ral?"  
"What do you want for lunch?" Rally stood up from the table and stretched. "Pizza from Dominos or Pizza Hut?"  
May got up off the couch and walked into the dining room. "Excuse me? I am not eating one more slice of pizza..."  
"Good," Rally said. "More for me!"  
"Rally!" May exclaimed. "Can we please just eat something else?"  
"I'm paying so I pick!"  
"It's not my fault that you hardly ever pay me!"  
"You hardly ever work so you're hardly ever gonna get paid!" Rally exclaimed. "All you do is read magazines and watch television!"  
Akira walked back into the room holding a katana in his hands. "What are you two arguing about?"  
"Lunch," Rally said.  
"Follow me," Akira said. "I'll make lunch."  
"No! I don't want frozen pizza!" May exclaimed.  
Akira walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator. "See..."  
Rally and May looked inside. Both of their jaws dropped.  
"Rally?"  
"Yeah?"  
"Hold me...I'm scared."  
Rally looked at Akira. "There's actually food in our fridge?"  
"Yep." Akira shut the door. "I went shopping. Now what do you want me to make for lunch?"  
"Chinese food!"  
"No! Pizza!"  
Akira shook his head. "Did you two grow up at fast food restaurants?" Akira paused for a moment. "How about a native dish of mine?"  
"That's too much like Chinese food! No fair!"  
Akira sighed. "How about spaghetti?"  
"I guess," Rally said.  
May nodded then walked out of the kitchen.  
Rally followed out behind May.  
Akira opened the refrigerator again and shook his head. "Girls."  
  
Akira walked into the living room where Rally and May were. "Lunch is done. I set the places in the kitchen."  
May turned off the television and Rally laid down her car catalogue. They got up and headed to the kitchen in front of Akira.  
Rally smelled the air. "Smells really good."  
They sat down at the kitchen table. Rally took the end cap seat while May took the left side. Akira took the right side across from May. Rally and May picked up their forks ready to dig in while Akira stopped and closed his eyes.  
May looked over at Rally with a question on her face. Rally only shrugged her shoulders at May's look and gave an equally questioning look back.  
"What are you doing?" May asked.  
"May!" Rally hissed.  
Akira looked up. "Oh, me? Just praying."  
"Praying?" May questioned. "What for?"  
"To give thanks for my food."  
May shook her head. "I don't believe in that stuff."  
"I'm sorry," Akira said.  
May gave Akira a dirty look. "Well, I bet Rally doesn't either. Do you, Rally? You don't believe in all that, do you?"  
Rally put her fork down and bit her lip. "Well, I don't know. I guess so, but I'm not sure. I mean, it's wrong to kill people and stuff. I guess there must be a God or higher power or something that makes laws and morals."  
May looked down at her spaghetti. "Well, anyway, I'm hungry. Let's eat or I'm gonna die!"  
Everyone picked up their forks and started eating. Just after taking a few bites, the kitchen door flew open. Becky stood there with her computer and papers. Instead of walking in, she just stood there.  
"What's wrong?" Rally asked.  
"Never in my life would I thought I'd see an actual cooked meal in your house, Rally. What's the occasion?"  
"None, I just made lunch. Sit down." Akira grabbed a plate for Becky.  
"Well, actually, I think we've got bigger things." Becky sat down. "I ran the license plate through the DMV files."  
"And?" May questioned.  
"247-MIC belongs to Michelo Ignacius Chariot."  
Rally spit out her spaghetti. "WHAT!" Rally grabbed a napkin and wiped her mouth. "You mean that the assassination of Richard Harris was committed by Michelo Chariot!"  
"So we need to find out more about Michelo Chariot then," Akira said.  
"But where?" Becky asked.  
"I got an idea," Rally said.  
  
Rally, May, and Becky walked up to the small, modest, blue house in the middle of a below-average neighborhood. Rally knocked at the door. The door opened slowly and a younger woman peered out slowly.  
Rally pulled off her sunglasses. "Mrs. Vanzetti."  
"Yes." She looked to the ground.  
"My name is Rally Vincent. I want to talk to you about Mario Vanzetti Jr."  
"The Police have already been by. They know everything there is to know."  
"Not about your husband's Mafia days."  
Anna Vanzetti looked around outside then invited Rally, May, and Akira into the house. The four of them stepped into the living room where five children played on the floor.  
"Matthew, take your brothers and sisters and go outside."  
The oldest child, who happened to have a broken arm, stood up and tried to usher his siblings out of the room.  
"Kristen, Mark, Luke, and Lydia, out! Go outside now!"  
The children got up and scrambled to go outside.  
"Let's go to the kitchen." Anna walked towards the kitchen and motioned Rally, May, and Akira to come with her. She took a seat at the table and extended her arm towards the empty chairs. Rally, Akira, and May took seats at the table.  
"What do you people know?" She asked, with fear in her voice.  
"We know that your husband was connected to the Mafia and is somehow involved with something much bigger," Rally said. "Something the police obviously doesn't know."  
"What do you people want from me? I have nothing left to offer anyone. Can't you just leave me alone? Doesn't anyone realize that my husband is dead and that my five children are fatherless?" Anna burst into tears.  
Rally sighed. "Mrs. Vanzetti, I know you've been through a lot. But, I need to hear your side of the story. I'm a bounty hunter, and I'm trying to lock up the men that did this to your husband. But, I need your help."  
Anna nodded through her tears. "Mario was involved with the Mafia in his younger days. He commonly ran errands for the lords and bosses in return for money. About fifteen years back, his parents' restaurant was about to close to Mario took out a loan to keep the place running. Ever since, Mario had been taking out more and more loans to the point where we couldn't pay them anymore. Mario tried to pull out of the Mafia, but they kept a tight reign on our family."  
"Why do you think they all the suddenly wanted to kill him?" Rally asked.  
"He threatened to run to the police. He was going to, but obviously they got to him before that happened."  
"What did he know?" Akira asked.  
"You've been watching the news?"  
"Richard Harris," Rally uttered. "He knew. But why did the Mafia want him dead? What did he do to them?"  
"Richard Harris was making it harder on the Osaka Shipment. He was raising import tariffs, increasing police staff, and enforcing harder drug laws."  
"So what's in the Osaka Shipment?" Akira asked.  
Anna rubbed her temples as if she had a headache. "I'm not sure, to tell the truth. They've been keeping that real secret. Mario didn't even know, and Mario tells me everything."  
"Is that all you know?" Rally asked.  
"All that I can think of."  
"Who's Michelo Chariot?" Rally asked.  
Anna grew silent. "Stay away from him."  
"Who is he?" Akira asked.  
Anna sighed very deeply. She stood up from the table and looked out the window at the street. "He's basically third in command of the Chicago Mafia."  
"That high up?" May asked.  
"Yes. He's dangerous."  
Rally turned in her chair to face Anna. "Who's first and second?"  
Anna kept looking out the window. "The first in command is the infamous Johnny Torrio."  
"And second?" May questioned.  
"Nobody really knows. They call him the Spider. They say that he's a mysterious figure that hardly anyone's ever seen."  
"The Spider," Rally questioned. "Hmmm..."  
Anna turned back from the window. "I think you should go now."  
Rally read the nervousness on Anna's face. "Okay."  
"And please be careful," Anna uttered.  
  
Rally, Akira, and May walked across the street from Anna's house up to Rally's Shelby. Rally reached for the driver's side handle, but Akira grabbed it before she could. "I thought it was my turn to drive?"  
Rally smacked her hip into Akira's and pushed him out of the way. "No, I'm driving," She teased as she tried to push him out of the way.  
"And you called me shallow!" Akira exclaimed as he pushed Rally back.  
"You are!" Rally laughed as she managed to get Akira out of the way of the door.  
Akira wrapped his arms around Rally and picked her up. "I don't think so." He lifted her so her stomach rested over his shoulder. "Put me down!" Rally smacked Akira in the back with her balled fists. "Put me down! I mean it! Akira!" May rolled her eyes as she walked around the front of the car to get to the passenger's side. "No way! You're riding shotgun!" He turned around and set Rally back down on the ground on her back. Then he opened the driver's side door and got into Rally's car. Rally scrambled to her feet and ran around the front of the car to get into the shotgun seat. "I hope you don't think this is permanent!" "I hope you don't think this is temporary." Akira fired up the mighty Shelby. "I love that sound!" "So what'd you think about Anna's story, Ral?" Rally turned her head back to look at May. "She seemed really edgy. Like something was still wrong." "Yeah, I know," May said. "Well, I'm hungry. Let's go get some food. Yo, Akira, take us to Taco Bell!" "I've never been there," Akira uttered as he put the car in drive and pulled away from the street. "Is it a sit down restaurant?" "Nope," Rally and May said concurrently. "Do you girls eat anything besides fast-food?" "Nope." As the blue Shelby drove away from Anna Vanzetti's house, a brown van started rumbling. It pulled away from it's parked spot under a large oak tree and followed the Shelby down the street.  
  
"Uhhhhhhhhhh...it hurts..." Akira moaned as he held his stomach. "Quit being a baby!" May exclaimed as she opened the garage door that led into the house. "Oh, cut it out, May. He's just not used to eating American food," Rally said. She followed into the house after Akira and May. "Well, Akira, you know where the downstairs bathroom is, in case you have to throw up." "Uhhhh..." Akira moaned and trotted off to his room. May took off her coat and threw it on the hanger. "Serves the jerk right! It's about time he got what's coming to him!" Rally picked up the mail that was lying on the dining room table. "What do you got against him anyway?" She the rest of the mail back down on the table but opened up a letter from Remington, her supplier of shotgun shells. "He's a jerk! What more is there to say?" May jumped over the back of the couch and grabbed the television remote. She flipped on the television. Rally walked into the living room with her letter. "What are you watching?" "TGIF is on. I'm gonna catch the last few shows. Wanna watch?" Rally thought for a moment. "Sure. Just give me a few minutes." Rally walked into the kitchen then threw her letter away. "Hey, May, do you want some ice cream?" Rally hollered. "Yeah!" May hollered back.  
  
Rally walked into the living with two bowls of ice cream and wearing a pair of flannel pajamas. She took a seat on the couch next to May and handed off the second bowl of ice cream. "It's still weird to see you in pajamas," May shook her head and grabbed her spoon. "But I suppose you don't want jerk face to see your underwear."  
  
"I never said that!" Rally exclaimed. May grinned. "You mean you do want him to see you in your underwear?" Rally blushed. "No! I never called him jerk face! That's what I was talking about! I didn't mean anything else!" May laughed. "Chill out, would you? Geeze, you're blushing as red as the sun!" "I'm not blushing!" Rally felt her ears turn hot. "Whatever." May took a bite of her ice cream. Rally grabbed her spoon and stirred her ice cream in her bowl as she thought about random things. She looked up at the television then looked back to the ice cream. "So..." May breathed. "How are you and Devin doing?" "Doing?" Rally questioned. "What do you mean?" "Come on! I mean are you guys hitting it off? He called you, his girlfriend so I assume you're getting along well." "I guess so." "What do you mean, I guess so? You guys have so much in common. And he seems to really like you, Ral." "You think?" "Yeah, I do." Rally finally took a bite. "I just don't know..." May pulled her blanket up to her neck. "Do you like him?" Rally sighed. "I don't know. He's just so arrogant." "Why not? You both like cars, guns, and law enforcement. Why don't you just give it some time. I'm sure you'll learn to like him. Besides, all men are arrogant." "Akira's not." Rally looked down at her ice cream again. May cast a strange look at Rally then shook her head. "I don't think he's got much to be arrogant about." Rally smirked. "He was just kidding about the midget thing, you know." "Yeah, right!" May rolled her eyes. "And Natasha Radinov is a sweet, young maiden who wouldn't hurt a fly."  
  
The small red light flashed and lit up the dark bedroom. Rally opened her eyes and looked over towards the light. "What? Another break-in?" Rally smiled. "All right!" She reached behind her pillow and grabbed her beloved CZ-75. She slowly crept out of her room and walked to the base of the stairs. She paused about half way down and listened to the footsteps of the trespassers in her house. "They're in the kitchen," She thought to herself. "I hope Akira stays put." Rally finished the stairs then slid onto the floor on her stomach. She slowly crawled across the living room and the dining room towards the kitchen. "Which broad are we looking to kill?" "As far as I'm concerned, both of them." Rally paused in the dining room next to the bookcase. Suddenly, she heard something rolling across the linoleum floor in the kitchen. She covered her ears. "Dang it, May!" She thought to herself. "What that sound?" Boom! A small explosion erupted in the kitchen and waves of smoke poured out the kitchen door. Then men in the house hollered followed by loud crashing sounds. Rally got up and ran to the kitchen. She flipped on the kitchen lights to see Akira with his katana slashing up the four attackers. He elbowed one in the face then spun around in fluid motion to slice the next guy across the chest with his katana. He gracefully turned the angle of his katana and sliced at the third guy. The fourth man came at him in a charge, but Akira sidestepped to the left then slashed his katana down as the attacker lunged and missed. Rally stood there with her gun. "Well...I guess that's taken care of." May walked into the kitchen from the other door. "That was just like the movies," May said, actually quite impressed since it was Akira. "Those moves were pretty slick, Akira," Rally said. "Thank you," Akira said. Suddenly his cheeks bulged. "Excuse me!" He dropped his katana, covered his mouth, and ran to the bathroom. "Ewww...yuck..." May sighed. "Well, I suppose the police will be here soon."  
  
Rally sat at the kitchen counter drinking a cup of coffee when Devin walked in. He took the liberty to grab himself a cup and pour some coffee. "You ladies seem to get yourselves in a lot of trouble." "Yeah, well, that's us!" May faked a smile. "Yep," Rally said. Akira walked back into the kitchen still holding his stomach and groaning. He walked straight to his room. "What is sock head doing here?" Devin asked, rather sharp. "Sock head lives here," May said. "His name is Akira." Rally took a drink of her coffee. Devin folded his arms at his chest. "Well, whoever he is, I don't like him." Devin unfolded his arms and grabbed his cup. "Well, how about a date tomorrow afternoon? It's Saturday tomorrow, isn't it? I'll take you out to lunch." "Well, I..." "She'll go!" May interjected. Rally shot a dirty look at May.  
"Great!" Devin said. "I'll pick you up at noon!" He set his cup down and walked out the kitchen door to the outside.  
Rally closed her eyes and hung her head down. "Uhhhh..." 


	8. The Shipyard

Episode Eight  
The Shipyard  
  
"Yeah, you're probably right," Rally said as she opened the refrigerator. She grabbed a Pepsi then closed the door. "But what should we do about it?"  
Akira sat at the kitchen table polishing his katana with a cloth. "I have a feeling we better go check what this Osaka Shipment is. By the means the Mafia's using, it must be extremely important."  
"And when and where do you propose we do that?"  
"Tonight."  
"Oh, tonight?" Rally opened her Pepsi. "You make it sound so casual."  
Akira held his katana up to catch the light. "Please. Like you're worried. You probably can't wait to get packed up and ready to go."  
Rally smirked while shrugging her shoulders. "Yeah," She sighed.  
Akira stood up from the table. He slid his katana back into the sheathe on his belt. "Well then...let's get ready..."  
Rally's grin grew wider. "May! We're going out!"  
A loud thump hit the floor after Rally's words followed by pounding footsteps. May ran into the kitchen panting. "We're going out?"  
Rally smiled and nodded. "Yep!"  
May smiled too. "Where we going? Dancing? Movies? Dinner? You know, I've wanted to go to that new club called The Fog..."  
"We're going to the shipyard."  
May's smile flipped. "The shipyard? What in the heck are we gonna do there?"  
"Look for clues. Now go put some warm clothes on. It'll be cold tonight."  
May moaned. "Why is it that we never do anything fun around here?" May stopped off towards the steps leading upstairs.  
"I better get a jacket myself." Rally followed up the stairs behind May. She went into her bedroom and veered to the left. She opened her closet and gazed over the rows of Kevlar jackets. She grabbed one and tossed it on her bed. Going over to the dresser, Rally pulled out an outfit and tossed in on the bed too. She then headed toward the gun case and looked over her arsenal of firearms. She smiled as her eyes racked over her prized possessions.  
  
"Ready?" Rally asked.  
"Yeah," Akira said.  
Rally turned the engine off. She pulled the keys out the ignition and put them in her pocket. She got out of the car and quietly just the door as Akira and May did the same.  
They peered through the grove of trees they parked by down to the shipyard just north of the Chicago land area. They gazed across the field then started walking toward the buildings in the distance.  
"Why do we have to do so much walking?" May whined.  
"Sneak attack," Akira said.  
"Yeah, well, I ain't no ninja freak like you..."  
"Cut it out! Or they'll hear us because of your big mouth!" Rally hissed under her breath. "Just don't make any noise!"  
May rolled her eyes.  
The three walked about a quarter of a mile through the tall marshy grass before coming to a tall metal fence surrounding the shipyard. Akira ran up and down the fence looking for a weakness before motioning Rally and May over. He found a bent corner of the fence near the ground. He pulled out his wire clippers from his jacket and made a bigger opening.  
"Why don't you go first, May?" Akira suggested.  
"No!" May hissed. "You'll look up my skirt when I'm trying to crawl!"  
  
Akira shook his head. ""Fine! I'll go first!" He did so by crawling flat on his stomach to get through.  
Rally went next but had some trouble because of her thick Kevlar vest. She managed to wiggle through then she helped pull May though.  
"Uh...I'm all muddy..." May said.  
"You'll be fine, May," Rally said.  
Akira started walking off towards the right. "That looks like the offices up ahead. We'll be able to find some paperwork in there."  
"Right," Rally uttered. "I just hope it's a little more specific than Becky's information."  
"Yeah, me too," Akira said. He carefully took his footsteps as he was trained to do in his martial arts training.  
"Are you really a ninja or something?" May asked.  
"Well, my family is one of the last pure blood ninja clans in all Japan. My father is from the Shinagawa clan, and my mother was from the Kataro clan. So I suppose yes." Akira moved forward. "We need to be quite though. Please no more talking."  
May rolled her eyes as she mocked Akira.  
They crouched down underneath the window of the small office building. Akira peeked over the windowsill and looked inside. It appeared to be empty and lifeless. Akira then motioned Rally and May to move towards the back of the building. They came to the backdoor.  
"Rally, hold the light." Akira dug into his pocket while Rally held the flashlight. He pulled out a long, thin, metal pin and jammed it into the lock of the door. He jiggled the pick in the lock for a few seconds then popped open the door.  
May wrinkled her nose. "I could of done that!"  
"Not quietly, you couldn't of," Akira said while stepping into the building.  
Rally quietly laughed as she followed behind. "Come on, May!" Rally hissed as she stopped to wait.  
"Buzz off! I'm gonna have a smoke!" May said pulling out a cigarette and lighter.  
"I thought you quit! You know I don't like it when you smoke!"  
"Yeah, well, we all got problems!" May lit up and took a puff.  
Rally shook her head and started walking again.  
Akira headed straight for the desk of the main office. He opened the file cabinet and started thumbing through the files.  
"You find anything?" Rally asked while standing in the doorway of the office. "Do you even think they'll be records for the shipment?"  
Akira pulled out a manila folder. He looked through the documents in the folder. "Same as Becky. It's labeled as supplies."  
"Crap."  
"You're telling me."  
"So what's the shipping route?"  
"Hmmm..." Akira looked through the papers. "Chicago, Toronto, New York, London, Cape Town, New Delhi, and the infamous Osaka."  
"Quite a network, eh?" Rally said. "Sounds like serious business. I wonder what the shipment is though."  
"Well, it sounds like we need to just go and see the cargo ourselves." Akira closed the folder and placed it back in the file cabinet. "Let's go."  
Akira and Rally walked out of the office and closed the door behind them. Akira locked it back up and turned around. "It's too quiet. Where's May?"  
Rally looked around. "You ticked her off. She probably went back to the car." Rally walked down the small cement steps. "Come on. She'll be fine."  
"You sure?"  
"Yeah, she'll be just fine. She probably just went off somewhere to pout." Rally looked around the shipyard. "I bet we need to go there next."  
"Look's like it."  
Akira and Rally slowly approached the warehouse in the shipyard. Cautiously they made their way up to the building and headed inside by the same methods as before. Akira shined the light into the building and saw hundreds of crates. "Bingo."  
"Jackpot." Rally said as she saw the crates. "Let's crack one of these babies open." Rally grabbed a crowbar laying off to the side. She started to pry open a crate and had trouble.  
"Need help?"  
"No, I got it!" Rally pulled harder and popped off the lid to the crate. "See." She wiped the sweat off her forehead. "I can do it myself."  
"I wasn't doubting that you could."  
Rally turned her attention from Akira to the contents of the crate. She looked at the clear, plastic packages and marveled at the contents. "Pills?" She questioned as she looked back to Akira.  
Akira placed his hand on the plastic and shifted one of the pills around to look at it. "Narcotics. Looks like Speed."  
"I hate drugs," Rally said, rather disgusted.  
"So this is the infamous Osaka Shipment."  
"It must be a pretty profitable industry for the Mafia to go to this length of means to protect the business."  
"Right," Akira uttered. "Well, we should get going. We better make sure we know where May is before she gets into trouble."  
"Yeah, I suppose you're right."  
Rally veered off to the left while Akira headed toward the right. She paused for a moment to look behind her. She saw that Akira had completely disappeared in the shadows after a few seconds. She reached into her jacket and pulled out her trusty and faithful partner, her CZ-75 handgun. Rally walked around careful to avoid the light from the lamps. Deciding to check out the action at the dock, she headed towards the water. She came up to the dock and stood against one of the office buildings. She looked around. A group of six men were unloading more of that same kind of cargo in the warehouse.  
"Get movin' ya scurvy dogs!"  
Rally looked around almost thinking that she heard a pirate. She looked over the six men and watched them as they straightened up and worked harder. She glanced upward and saw another man on the boat.  
Rally froze. Every muscle in Rally's body froze except her heart. Blood rushed to her head as her heart throbbed. She startled backward as a cold layer of sweat covered her skin. She closed her eyes for a second. It was so long ago when it happened yet at that moment, it felt like a minute ago. His face was the same today as it was that day seven years ago. She felt backwards, not being able to catch herself.  
"Hey, Rally, why did you wander off over here?"  
Rally fell into Akira's arms as she lost her balance. As she made contact, she started elbowing and flailing her arms. "Let me go! Let me go!"  
"Rally, it's me!" Akira put his hand over Rally's mouth.  
Rally panicked since she couldn't break free. Tears almost poured from her eyes as she threw her arms into Akira's chest. Akira spun her around and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Rally! It's me! It's okay!"  
Rally shook her head and snapped out of her trance. Still breathing heavily, she gazed her eyes over Akira and studied him for a few moments.  
"Are you okay?"  
Looking extremely petrified, Rally fell forward into Akira's arms. She closed her eyes, and everything went black.  
  
Rally flinched her eyes when she felt something cold on her face. She opened her eyes to find May holding a wet cloth. "Are you okay, Rally? What happened?" Rally fluttered her eyes. "What did happen? I don't remember anything." "You passed out at the shipyard. Don't you remember?" That same face flashed into Rally's mind again. She shook her head trying to lose the vision of that face as she held her hand over her throbbing chest. "Rally? Are you okay? Do you want me to call the doctor?" May asked, extremely worried. "What's wrong?" Rally tore her mind away from such thoughts and faked a smile. "I'm fine, May. It was probably just fatigue. Maybe I should take a vacation day from work or something." May thought for a moment, fooled by the smile. "Well, alright. If you say so." May stood up from the side of Rally's bed. "Why don't you come downstairs?" Rally slowly crawled out of bed and placed her feet on the floor. She stood up and stretched before following May out of the bedroom. She carefully took each step down the stairs until she reached the bottom. Feeling cold, she headed toward the living room and sat down on the couch with a blanket. "You're finally up. You feeling better?" Akira walked into the room. "I'm fine," Rally said. "It's just fatigue." Akira paused for a moment and pondered. He shook his head and took a seat in one of the chairs in the living room. "Are you sure?" "Yes, I'm fine. Really." Rally turned her face away to the floor. "I'm just fine. I just need some rest." May walked into the living room from the kitchen with a soda. She looked up at the clock. "Man, it's already midnight! I'm starving!" Akira glanced up. "Yeah, me too. Where we gonna get any food though?" "There's a Wendy's a few blocks down. It's open all night." May headed toward the door. "You guys wanna come?" "I suppose I will. Even though I'm sick of fast food." Akira stood up from the chair and started heading toward the door. "What about you, Ral?" "No, I'm not hungry." May peeked back into the living room. "You sure?" "Yes, just go." "Do you want us to bring you something back?" "No." "Okay then." May and Akira headed out the front door. They walked through the grass in the yard instead of the sidewalk and headed to the street. They walked a few minutes not saying anything due to they never really had a conversation before. "Something is wrong with Rally, isn't there?" Akira asked, breaking the silence. "Rally says she's fine." "She's obviously lying." May stopped in the middle of the street. "Rally wouldn't lie to me! We're best friends, you know! She might lie to you but not to me!" "May, she was obviously acting funny!" "She's just fatigued! Rally works really hard, you know!" "Fatigued? Ha! You obviously didn't see her when she passed out! Rally was terrified just before she passed out! She saw something!" "Rally doesn't get terrified!" "Everyone gets scared, May! Even you, even me, and even Rally!"  
  
Just after Akira and May left, Rally stood up from the chair in the living room. She walked into the hallway while flipping every light switch she walked by. The house was dark and silent. She only heard her footsteps against the wood floor as she headed down the hall. She stopped at the hallway closet and opened it. She dug though a few boxes and pulled out a small, black case. She carried it back to the living room and set the case on the coffee table. With her fingers, she unlocked the clamps on the side of the case and opened the lid. Rally sighed as she reached into the case. Up came her hands with a violin. She placed the violin against her shoulder and in-between her chin. Gently holding the bow, she started to stroke it against the strings of the violin. Suddenly beautiful music filled the empty darkness of the house.  
  
"You know what, sock head? I'm sick of your attitude!" May hollered. "All you ever do is screw things up for Rally and I!" "You're the only one who seems to have a problem with me! Maybe you're the one with the problem? And I'm sick of being called sock head!" "Just leave me alone! Go home! And I do not mean my house! Go back to Jap- land!" May stormed off towards the Wendy's in the distance. Akira moaned and turned around back towards Rally's house. "Women!"  
  
Nonstop music filled the atmosphere of the house as Rally played more passionately as time went on. Even though she hardly ever played anymore, she sounded like she practiced for hours on end. She closed her eyes as she played. Memories started to fill the darkness of her mind as she played.  
  
"I don't want to play violin!" "Nonsense, all girls of good upbringing and fine taste play violin. Now go practice, Irene." "Mom!"  
  
Rally stopped her music. "Mom..." She softly uttered. It seemed so strange to say that word. She hadn't called out for her mother in seven years. She sighed deeply. "You and I never understood each other, did we? Yet your death haunts me." Rally started to play again. Akira walked up to the front door of the house. He stepped inside and looked around to see nothing but darkness. He paused for a moment to listen to the music. "Rally?" He followed the sound of the music which led him to the living room. He paused in the entrance to the living room as he saw Rally standing in the darkness making the music. He took a step forward and the floor creaked. Rally spun around quickly, stopping the music. She gasped once she saw Akira standing in the middle of the living room. She quickly threw her arms behind her back trying to hide her violin. "Rally?" Akira questioned. "Akira!" Rally gasped. "Are you okay?" "Uh...I'm fine..." Akira took a step closer. "What are you doing alone in the dark playing that instrument." Rally gave a nervous laugh. "What? This old thing? I was going to sell in the newspaper. I just needed to make sure it worked and all..." Rally shrugged her shoulders and faked a smile. Akira grabbed onto Rally's wrists. "Rally?" Rally's fake smile melted. "I..." Akira's stern voice broke her. As much as she wanted to fight it, she couldn't. Tears, for the first time in many years, filled her eyes. Her breath caught in her throat as her throat started to close up. "Rally?" Akira questioned with a warmer tone of voice. "What happened? What did you see?" "His face." "Whose face? Rally, you have to tell me. What happened? Whose face?" Rally closed her eyes. Tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks "I was twelve years old when it happened. I was spending the summer with my dad in Pakistan at his gun shop. My mom came to pick me up at the end of the summer to take me back to London with her. They were arguing and fighting about the divorce papers until this man walked in. He ..." "Rally, tell me. You have to tell me what happened." "He shot her in the head...I...I...there...there...was...so much...so much...blood...I...I..." "Rally? Did you see the man who murdered your mother?" "It's him. It's the same guy. It's the same face! The same voice! The same everything! I'll kill him! I'll kill him for what he did to her! For what he did to me! I'll kill him!" "Rally, killing him isn't going to bring your mother back." "But he'll get what he deserves!" Rally grinded through her teeth. "I'll make him pay! He'll pay!" "Rally, I want you to listen to me. You are not going to find peace in killing him. Doing something wrong can never fix anything. Do you really want the pain to go away?" "Of course I do!" "Then don't kill him. Leave it in the hands of God." "Why didn't God save my mother?" "I don't know." "Please just leave me alone." Akira placed his hand on Rally's shoulder. "Please, promise me you won't kill that man. Not out of revenge. Promise me." Rally remained silent for a few moments. "I promise." "Thank you." Rally closed her eyes and hung her head from Akira's sight. "Please, just leave me alone. I don't want you to see me like this." "Like what?" "Weak." "You're not weak, Rally Vincent. You've proven that a hundred times over that you're not weak."  
More tears flowed from Rally's eyes. She brought her hand to her face to try to hide from Akira.  
Akira grabbed Rally's hand and pulled away from her face. He slowly slid his arms around her shoulders and pulled her close to him. Surprisingly, Rally wrapped her arms around Akira as he pulled her in. Feeling Rally's heart pounding through her chest, Akira was prompted to say little things to calm her down but nothing seemed to soothe her. He rested his chin on top of Rally's head and said nothing for the rest of the night.  
  
Rally closed her heavy eyelids and fell asleep. Once realizing what happened, Akira picked her up and carried her to her room. 


	9. Kenny's Back

For my peace of mind, I am going to assume that Ken Takizawa is 20 years old instead of 35. Because that's just gross!  
  
Episode Nine  
  
Kenny's Back  
  
Rally stretched her arms as she walked into the kitchen. She took a sniff of the air and looked around. "What's for breakfast?"  
"There's toast on the counter," May said without looking up from her magazine.  
Rally headed over to the toast. "Awe, yuck! It's burnt!"  
"Nobody said you had to eat it!" May hissed, feeling rather insulted.  
Rally grabbed the bag of sliced bread and pulled out two slices. She stuffed them in the toaster then grabbed a cup for coffee. As she was pouring her coffee, Akira stepped out of his room and entered the kitchen. Rally quickly spun around, feeling rather embarrassed from last night, but ended up spilling coffee on her hand. "OUCH!"  
"Are you okay?" Akira rushed over to Rally.  
"I'm fine!" Rally somewhat hissed. She pulled her hand away from Akira.  
Akira turned on the water at the sink. "You're burnt." He grabbed Rally's hand and stuck it under the faucet. "There." He pulled her hand out of the water.  
May peered up from her magazine, looking at Akira and Rally. Her eyes narrowed as she saw Akira still holding onto Rally's hand.  
"Better?" Akira softly said.  
"Yes." Rally stared back.  
"Good."  
"Thanks."  
"Ahem..." May cleared her throat  
Rally pulled her hand away from Akira. "Yes, thank you."  
"You're welcome."  
The telephone rang. Rally headed out of the kitchen. "I'll take it in the living room. I bet it's Becky."  
"Alright, Ral," May said, smiling. As soon as Rally left the room, May's smile turned into a frown. She produced her most evil stare to give to Akira at that moment.  
Akira looked up from his glass of water. "What?"  
"You know what!" May hissed.  
"No, I don't know what!"  
"She has a boyfriend! Leave her alone!"  
"I'm not after Rally like that!" Akira snapped back.  
"Please!" May exclaimed, trying to be quiet so Rally wouldn't hear. "You don't think I see it, do you?"  
"See what?" Akira asked, defensively.  
"You have a crush on her! You like her!"  
"I do not!" Akira hissed forcefully  
May hopped off her stool and circled around Akira. "Don't lie to me! I see the way you flirt with her! I see everything!"  
"You're paranoid!"  
Rally walked back into the kitchen holding the phone. "May, it's for you."  
"Who is it?" May walked over to Rally and took the phone.  
"You'll just have to see."  
May ran into the living room and jumped onto the couch. "Hello?"  
Akira sighed and leaned his stomach against the counter.  
Rally sat down at the table and stared at the wood pattern not wanting to look up at Akira.  
May screamed.  
Akira jumped up off the counter. "What's wrong?"  
"KENNY! OH MY GOSH, I LOVE YOU, BABY! OH, KENNY!"  
Akira looked to Rally.  
"May's boyfriend."  
"Oh." Akira thought for a moment. "You mean she actually has one?"  
"Yep."  
"Strange world we live in." Akira picked up his glass of water and took a drink. He walked out of the kitchen and back into his room.  
May walked into the kitchen giggling as she listened to Kenny talk. She sat down at the counter and giggled some more.  
Rally rolled her eyes then grabbed her Guns and Ammo magazine from the middle of the table.  
"Yeah, I know. I love you too. No, I love you more. No, I really do. No, I love you more. No, Kenny, I love you more..."  
Rally groaned and stuck her face into her magazine.  
"Hey, Ral?"  
"What?" Rally moaned.  
"Can we go somewhere in the afternoon?"  
"Where?"  
"O'Hare."  
"O'Hare? What the heck for?"  
May smiled. "Kenny's coming back! Can we? Please!"  
Rally groaned. "I guess."  
"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" May said while walking out of the kitchen. "No, I love you more. No, I love you..."  
Akira walked back out of his room. "Sounds like they're having a deep conversation."  
"That's what they do every time he calls." Rally tossed her magazine down.  
Akira walked over to the dishwater and opened it. He started loading up the dirty dishes. "So you're picking up this Kenny guy this afternoon?"  
"Apparently so." Rally uttered, looking to the floor.  
"What's wrong?"  
Rally looked up at Akira. "Nothing."  
"Why don't you talk much?"  
"No reason." Rally looked away. "I'm just kinda tired, I guess."  
"You don't have to be ashamed."  
"Ashamed of what?" Rally nervously questioned.  
"You know what I mean, Rally," Akira said, using his serious voice.  
Rally looked away from him again. "Look, it's something I don't want to talk about, okay?"  
"Fine."  
May walked back into the kitchen with a stupid smile on her face. "Kenny's coming back," She chorused. "Kenny's coming back...Kenny's coming back..."  
"Oh, get over it!" Rally groaned. "He hasn't even come to see you in a year!"  
"Don't yell at me just because you have a severe relational problem!" May spat, deeply offended.  
"I do not," Rally retorted.  
"Do so! When have you ever been in love? You're bent, Rally! Face it!"  
"I love my car..." Rally looked up at May. "...and my guns."  
May rolled her eyes as she walked past Rally at the table. "That's why you're still a virgin," May whispered.  
"Okay! Way too much information! I'm leaving!" Akira exclaimed and walked out of the house through the kitchen exit.  
"May!" Rally hissed, burning red with embarrassment."  
"He has really good hearing," May stated.  
"How could you?" Rally got up and walked out of the kitchen.  
"What?" May questioned. "It's true!"  
  
May tapped her foot against the floor as she looked at her watch. "Come on! Hurry up, already!"  
"That's not going to make him come any faster," Rally said as he leaned against a pillar. She then took a slip of her soda.  
"Oh, shut up, Rally!" May hissed. She looked over at the entrance where Kenny would appear from and bounced up and down on her feet anxiously.  
Rally bent over and picked up a small paper bag next to her feet. "May, just eat your happy meal!" She tossed the bag to May.  
May caught the bag and reached in. She pulled out her box of chicken nuggets and started eating them. "Gosh, it's been eleven months, one weeks, and four days since I last saw him!"  
"You've really got some issues, you know."  
May's face turned sour. "Just because your love life sucks and mine does..."  
Rally laughed. "I got all the love I need with my CZ-75."  
May rolled her eyes. "And you say I have issues. I'm really surprised that Devin hasn't ran away yet."  
"Oh, I really hope he does." Rally took another slip of her drink.  
"Rally..." May moaned and shook her head.  
"Hey, what's my favorite girl doing here?"  
May spun around. "KENNY!" She took two giant leaps towards Kenny and jumped into his arms. "OH, KENNY! I MISSED YOU!" She firmly pressed her lips against Kenny's and sweetly kissed him. People stopped around them and looked at what seemed to be a very happy reunion.  
Rally stared at Kenny and May. Even she couldn't deny the beauty captured in that single moment—that single kiss almost seemed to make all Heaven and earth pause. She blinked her eyes as she tried to grasp what she was seeing. A part of her wished that she could have something just as special and magical that those two seemed to share. She blinked again.  
People started losing interest after a few minutes. However, it was quite fascinating to wonder how May or Kenny seemed to breathe without unlocking from each other. Rally sighed and looked down at her watch as she the minutes fly by.  
"Ahem." Rally cleared her throat.  
May broke away from Kenny and looked back at Rally. "Oh, sorry." May smiled. "We better get home now."  
"Uh, good idea!" Rally started walking off.  
May grabbed Kenny's left hand while he pulled his carry-on with his right. They followed a few yards behind Rally, taking their time and playing around.  
  
"We're here!" May exclaimed as she burst through the front door. He tossed her purse to the side and turned around, locking Kenny's hands in hers. "Come on! Let's go sit on the porch!"  
Akira stepped into the hallway. "You're back...late."  
"Long story," Rally said.  
Kenny stopped walking once he saw Akira. "Why is there a robber in your house?"  
"Good question!" May exclaimed.  
Rally rolled her eyes. "He's not a robber. He's living here."  
Kenny scratched his head. "Your boyfriend?"  
Rally blushed a fierce red. "Uh...no...I...uh..."  
"No!" May said sharply. "She does have a boyfriend though. His name is Devin Park. He's a Police officer."  
"Oh," Kenny said. "Good for you, Rally." Kenny looked over to Akira and extended his hand. "I'm Ken Takizawa. You can just all me Kenny like everyone else."  
Akira took Kenny's hand. "Akira Shinagawa."  
"Oh, you're Japanese too," Kenny said.  
"Yeah, I am. Native born."  
"Well, I'm not." Kenny looked to the floor and sighed. "So what's with the mask?"  
"Ken!" Rally hissed.  
"What?" Kenny shrugged his shoulders.  
"Now I know where May gets her rudeness from!"  
Akira shook his head and veered off into the kitchen towards his bedroom.  
"Well, has anyone ever seen what he looks like?" Kenny asked.  
"No," Rally and May both said.  
"Are you in the least bit curious to know?"  
May sighed. "Well, of course! What about you Rally?"  
Rally shrugged her shoulders. "Well, sure I am. But he doesn't want us to see him so I guess we never will."  
"Hmmm..." A large grin appeared on May's face.  
  
May walked down the stairs wearing a red, Chinese-style dress with her blonde hair put up in chopsticks. She paused at the third step from the bottom to fix her hair.  
Rally turned her head from the television and looked at May. "What are you all dressed up for?"  
"Kenny and I are going out for dinner."  
"Oh, how exciting," Rally apathetically said, turning back to the television.  
"Get a life," May hissed.  
Kenny tromped down the stairs while throwing on his jacket. He stopped right behind May and put his hands on her shoulders.  
"We're not bringing anything back so you'll just have to fend for yourself," May said. "However, maybe I should since you can't cook."  
"I really don't need the sarcasm."  
"You started it." May giggled as Kenny kissed the back of her neck. "You're the one with all the smart comments..." May giggled again as Kenny kissed her over her ear.  
Rally turned her head to look back at May then immediately turned back to the television after seeing, in her opinion, a gross display of human affection.  
"Well, come on, Kenny..." May giggled as she grabbed Kenny's hand and led him out the front door.  
Akira, who was sitting in the living room, put his book down and looked at Rally. "Did everything just get extremely quiet around here since May left?"  
"You noticed it too?" Rally said.  
"So what do you want to do tonight?"  
Rally lied down on the couch from her sitting position. "To tell the truth, I really don't want to do anything tonight."  
"Fine by me." Akira starting reading again.  
Rally closed her eyes but opened them seconds later when the doorbell rang. "Geeze, I don't want company right now."  
"Do you want me to get the door?"  
"No." Rally got up from the couch. "I'll get it." Rally walked out of the living room and into the hallway. She headed to the front door and opened it. "Mrs. Davis?"  
At the doorstep stood a young woman with a huge bag around her and a baby juggled in one arm. This woman happened to be Rally's next door neighbor. Quite often, May would baby-sit for the Davis' baby daughter, Katie. "Oh, Miss Vincent! I'm so glad you're home!"  
"Uh...May's not home right now..." Rally uttered.  
"Please, I need your help!" Mrs. Davis took off her large bag and put it around Rally's neck. "You see, we just got a call that Scott's mother is in the hospital. We need someone to watch Katie for a couple of hours."  
"But, Jen...I...uh..."  
"We need to get there as soon as possible," Jen Davis said, cutting Rally off. "Thank you so much for helping, Rally. You're a blessing." She passed off the sleeping baby. "Thank you!"  
Rally awkwardly grabbed the baby as she was shoved into her arms. "But I..."  
"Here's my cell phone number, the hospital's number, and Katie's doctor's number. She's been having some ear problems." She handed the paper to Rally. "Just give her these drops every four hours. I gave her some at three so she'll be good until seven. Okay?"  
"But..."  
"Thank you, Rally. You have no idea what this means to me," Jen said.  
"But, I..." "I'll call you later." She kissed the baby's forehead. "Love you, Katie. Bye." She ran off towards her car in her driveway.  
Rally kicked the door shut seeing that her hands were full. She turned around to see Akira standing in the middle of the hallway. He gazed over Rally to see her juggling a baby in one arm with medication, papers, and a huge bag full of baby stuff. The site looked very strange and awkward.  
"You have a problem saying no, don't you?" Akira questioned.  
Rally rolled her eyes. "Don't even start with me." She wiggled out of the strap on the bag and let it drop to the floor. She also dropped the medication and papers on the floor. She took a hold of Katie with both hands and stretched her arms out to look at the baby. Katie looked at Rally as Rally stared her down. After a few seconds, Katie threw her head back and started to cry. "Oh no! Turn it off! Turn if off!" Rally panicked. Akira walked up and took Katie from Rally's hands. "Here...it's like this." Akira held the little girl in his arms and slightly rocked her. After she calmed down, he lifted her up high and brought her back down. Rally looked up once she heard laughter from the baby. She stood in amazement for a few moments. "How...? How did you do that?" Akira looked over at her. "Kids are easy to please." He looked back to Katie and kept playing with her. "How are you so good with children?" "I had sisters once." Rally cast a strange look at Akira. "Had?" Akira didn't answer. He kept playing with the baby. Rally pondered for a few moments. She then shook her head, picked up the papers and medication, and walked into the kitchen. She put them down on the table and headed back to the living room where she found Akira sitting in the chair with Katie. She sat down on the love-seat and watched as Akira played with her. "Something wrong?" Akira asked, seeing Rally zoning out. Rally looked up at him. "No...nothing's wrong." "What are you thinking about?" "Nothing..." Akira stood up. He carried Katie over to Rally and dropped her off into Rally's arms. "Here, hold her." "But...I...uh..." "Just try it." Rally took Katie awkwardly into her arms. Feeling extremely strange, inadequate and uncomfortable, Rally tried to pass the baby back to Akira. "Just hold her." Rally clumsy cradled the baby into her arms and tried to be as delicate and caring as possible. As babies usually do, Katie started to moan, signaling that she was going to start crying. "What do I do?" Rally panicked. "Just rock her back and forth. She'll calm down." Rally did as Akira instructed and soon baby Katie was fast asleep. Rally looked up to Akira and almost cracked a smile. "I did it." "Yeah." Akira smirked, unseen by Rally because of the mask. Rally shifted the baby so the baby's head rested against her shoulder. "I can't believe it. I actually made her go to sleep." "What makes you say that?" Akira said down next to her. Rally sighed and looked down at Katie. "I've never been really good with children. I don't think it's really my thing." Akira thought for a moment. "I think you'd be a good mother." Rally looked up at Akira with shock in her eyes. "What?" "Nobody's ever said that to me before." Rally faked a smile. "In fact, I've been told never to breed or have contact with children at all." "Who would say such a terrible thing?" "My friends." Akira shook his head. "Love never fails. If you loved your child with all your heart, you'd never fail, Rally." Rally slightly blushed. "Well, I don't ever think I'd be in a position to have children anyway. I mean, I'm so busy with my career and everything..." "Would you want to?" "No..." Rally looked away from Akira as she lied. "...I haven't really put much thought into it." The truth was that she had put thought into it. Rally glanced back. "Well, what about you?" Rally asked, taking the focus off her. Akira shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I'd like to. But, I suppose I have to find a wife first and all that." "So how many little Akira's do you want running around?" "Oh, at least six to eight..." Akira laughed. "Maybe even ten." "Yeah, good luck finding a wife that'll do that for you." "Well, how many would you have?" "Three at the very maximum." "So, you have thought about this, haven't you?" Akira said, teasing. Rally looked at him blankly and blushed from embarrassment once she was caught. "Okay...maybe a little." "Rally?" "Okay...maybe a lot..." Rally admitted. "I've just..." "What?" "I've never told anyone that before." Akira slouched back into the couch. "If it's important, you shouldn't let everyone else make your decisions or make you feel a certain way. If you want it, Rally, then claim it. You deserve to be happy, and have the things that are important to you." "Well..." Rally sighed. "It's still a long ways off. I am only nineteen." "You're nineteen? I thought you were older." "Nope, nineteen." Rally paused for a moment. "How old are you?" "Twenty-two." "Oh, not too much older then."  
  
Feeling a lot more comfortable, Rally laid on the living room floor with Katie as Katie crawled around on the floor and all over Rally. Katie put her hands on Rally's stomach and tried to crawl up on top of Rally. Rally laughed as the small hands tickled her. She gave Katie a boost and sat the baby down on her stomach. She pulled her knees up against Katie's back to make sure the baby wouldn't fall backwards. Akira looked up at the clock and saw that it was ten o'clock. "Would you mind if I went to bed? I'm really tired." "Yeah, go ahead. I'm fine." "Are you sure?" "Yeah, just go." Akira stood up and stretched. He yawned out loud. "Well, come and get me if you need anything." He walked into his room. Rally closed her eyes and yawned also. Before she opened her eyes, she felt something lightly thud against her chest. She opened them to find Katie's head resting on her chest. Katie decided to make Rally into her bed and started snuggling into Rally. Not being able to do much, Rally clapped so the lights would go off then wrapped her arms around the baby to keep her warm. She too closed her eyes trying to sleep.  
  
May flipped on the living room lights. She looked down at Rally and Katie. "What the?" May questioned with shock. Kenny stepped into the room. "I didn't know Rally had a baby." "She doesn't. She doesn't know the first thing about babies." "She seems to be doing okay to me." May gave Kenny a dirty look. "Well, whose kid is it?" That's Scott and Jen's baby." "Huh?" "The neighbors." "So what's Rally doing?" "Must be baby-sitting." May walked over to Rally and put her foot on Rally's shoulder. She gently shook Rally with her foot. Rally fluttered her eyes open. She looked around then focused on May standing. "What's going on. What time is it?" "It's midnight. What are you doing with Katie?" Rally sat up very carefully in order not to wake Katie. "Jen came over needing someone to baby-sit. She kinda dumped Katie off on me." "Well, she must have been desperate." May bent over and took Katie from Rally's arms. She cuddled Katie into her arms so naturally and walked off.  
  
Rally sighed and got up off the floor. She stretched then walked into the kitchen behind May. May looked down at the papers that Jen gave to Rally on the table. "She has an ear infection? Did you remember her medicine?" "Yes, I gave it to her at seven like Jen said to." "Well, I'll take care of her until Jen and Scott are back. You go to bed." "Yeah, okay." Rally walked up the stairs from the kitchen.  
The door creaked open letting a little light from the kitchen into the room. It was very late at night. Jen came over to pick up Katie so now May was free to do what she planned since this afternoon. May stepped in and slowly closed the door behind her. Lightly tiptoeing, she got closer to Akira just until she was at the side of his bed. She waved her hand in front of his face a few times to make sure he was asleep.  
"Now, we'll really see what's under this mutant cover-up." May reached down and gently placed her hands at Akira's throat. She grabbed a hold of the mask with her fingers and started gently lifting up.  
Akira's left arm suddenly flung up and grabbed May's wrist. She screamed as she was startled by the surprise. She immediately bolted out of Akira's room. Akira jumped out of bed and went to the door.  
Rally ran down the stairs with her gun in hand as May darted up the stairs. She stopped at the end of the stairs and saw Akira standing in his doorway.  
"What happened?" Rally questioned, panting.  
"She tried to take my mask," Akira said, sounding very hurt.  
Rally put her gun to her side. "Akira, I'm really sorry. I'll make sure if never happens again. I promise."  
Akira sighed.  
"I'm really sorry. I know...I know your identity is very important to you. I know you must have a good reason for keeping your face hidden."  
Akira nodded and stepped back into his room.  
Rally turned around and charged up the stairs. "MARGARET MAY HOPKINS!"  
May looked down from the top of the stairs at a furious, charging Rally. "Uh, Rally! AH!" May ran off towards her bedroom.  
"MAY! GET BACK HERE!"  
"RALLY!" 


	10. Wounded Soul

Episode Ten  
Wounded Soul  
  
Rally walked into her bathroom and saw May standing in front of the mirror putting on make-up. "Where are you going?"  
"On a date with Kenny."  
Rally grabbed her toothbrush and turned on the water.  
"You must be going somewhere."  
"What makes you say that?" Rally asked as she applied toothpaste to her brush.  
"It's a rare occasion when you brush your teeth."  
Rally shot a dirty look at May. She ran her brush over the water then started to brush her teeth.  
"So where you going?" May questioned, setting the curling iron down and picking up a can of hair spray.  
Rally tried to say something with toothpaste in her mouth.  
"What? I can't understand you."  
Rally spit the toothpaste out. "I'm going out."  
"Out? With whom?"  
"Devin."  
May grinned. "Another date, eh? What, that's the second this week."  
"Yeah so?"  
May elbowed Rally in the side. "So? That obviously means he likes you!"  
"It doesn't mean anything." She finished brushing her teeth. She rinsed the toothbrush off and put it away.  
"Excuse me, but any guy who hasn't ran away yet must really like you. Heck, he'd probably have to be madly in love with you not to run."  
"Yeah right," Rally uttered sarcastically as she walked out of the bathroom into her bedroom.  
May followed right behind Rally. "What is that supposed to mean?"  
"What do you think it means?"  
"I don't know! You tell me, Rally Vincent!" May hissed. "I don't get you, Rally! What the heck do you want? You're never happy! You're always miserable! And you do nothing about it!"  
Rally turned around and looked at May.  
May wished she wouldn't have said anything. It was that look again. Rally wasn't angry, but deeply offended and hurt. She stood there wallowing in her guilt as Rally stared her down for a few moments.  
"Rally?"  
"What?" Rally uttered.  
"What will make you happy?"  
"I don't know." Rally walked over to her bed and picked up the black dress that was lying on her bed. She took it off the hanger and slipped into it.  
"Where are you going tonight?"  
"Dinner at Marcello's and then the Ford Oriental Theater."  
"You don't like the theater! What are you going there for?"  
"Well, my caring and understanding boyfriend is taking me there..."  
"C'mon, Rally! Give him a chance! You probably never even told him what you like so the poor guy has to go around guessing!"  
"That because we're too busy talking about him!"  
"How many times do I have to tell you? All men are arrogant. You've just got to learn to deal with it."  
"Well, he's the most arrogant of them all."  
"You're not so humble yourself, hon."  
Rally rolled her eyes as she walked out of her room.  
"Wait for me!" May followed quickly behind.  
Rally stopped at the bottom of the steps and slipped into her shoes. "Anyway, I'll be home rather late tonight so don't worry..."  
May giggled as she grinned widely. "So you're having a little get together with Devin after the show, eh?"  
Rally turned her head back and gave May an evil look. "You are such a pervert!" She stomped off into the living room, crossed the dining room and hallway, and entered into the kitchen.  
Akira looked up from polishing his katana. He sat there for a few moments as he stared at Rally. He cleared his throat. "You look nice...Rally."  
Rally blushed. "Thanks," She uttered. Then took a seat at the other end of the table. She pulled up her dress a little and strapped her leg holster on her left leg.  
Akira looked back down at his sword and smirked as he heard the Velcro; however, the black barrier on his face hid it. "Armed and dangerous, I see."  
Rally sat up in the chair. "You never know what to expect in this town."  
Akira laid his katana down on the table and picked up the smaller blade called the wakizashi. He slid it out of its sheathe and started to polish it.  
Rally wracked her eyes over the katana. She held her hand over it almost wanting to touch it. "May I?"  
Akira glanced up. "Yes, but please be careful. It's very sharp."  
Rally grasped the handle to the katana and lifted it up. "It's kinda heavy." She lifted it above her head. "Yet it's a very elegant weapon." She stood up from her chair and waved it around in the air.  
"Use two hands for strength," Akira said glancing up at Rally.  
"Okay." Rally placed her left hand on the handle with her right. "Like this?"  
"Move your right hand upward and your left down a little more." Akira sat the wakizashi down and directed his attention to Rally. "Good," He uttered as she placed her hands correctly.  
"Well, it's something I don't think I could ever learn."  
"Why not?"  
"I don't know. Guns are more my thing, I suppose."  
"A true ninja learns to adapt to complete his task. If I can learn to shoot a gun, you can learn to fight with a katana."  
"I guess so."  
A knock came to the kitchen door. Rally carefully laid the katana back down on the table and walked over to the door.  
"Hey, babe." Devin walked into the kitchen. His eyes instantly darted towards Akira. "What is sock head doing here?"  
"He lives here, remember?" Rally said. "His name is Akira Shinagawa."  
"Yeah, whatever."  
May and Kenny walked into the kitchen all dressed up and ready to go out on their date. "Hey, Devin," May said. "How are you?"  
"Fine." Devin said.  
"Who's he?" Kenny whispered to May.  
"Oh, Devin, this is my boyfriend." May motioned with her hand to Kenny. "His name is Ken Takizawa."  
Kenny extended his hand for a handshake. "And you are?"  
Devin took Kenny's hand. "Devin Park, Rally's boyfriend."  
Rally cringed.  
"Oh, I've heard a lot about you," Kenny said.  
Devin glanced over at the table and saw the katana. "Hmmm...you sword fight, sock head?"  
"What of it?"  
Devin smirked and looked back to Rally, May, and Kenny. "I spent a semester in Japan when I was studying criminal law. I had to practice kendo there. Needless to say, I was beating students who studied for years."  
Akira half-laughed which caused Devin to jerk his head toward Akira.  
"Are you laughing at me?"  
"No."  
"You are too!"  
"I didn't say anything."  
"If you think you're so good why don't you grab some swords and meet me in the yard? That is if you're not afraid of me."  
"I'm not going to waste my time fighting with you."  
"I challenge you! You have to accept!"  
Akira sighed and shook his head as he stood up from his chair.  
  
Devin swung his wooden sword around stabbing and hacking at the air to his muscles warm up. Akira glanced over his sword and got a proper grip on it.  
"This is all so immature..." Rally uttered.  
"Well, I'd like to see Akira get his butt kicked."  
"I have a feeling that Akira isn't the one who should be worrying..."  
Kenny grabbed his stomach. "I'm hungry."  
"Oh, Kenny..." May sighed.  
"So how long have you done this?" Devin asked.  
"All my life."  
"So had all the other men who lost against me."  
"Okay, whatever..." Akira tossed his sword across the yard.  
"What are you doing, you fool? Won't you even defend yourself?" Devin charged with his sword in the air. He swung down.  
Akira grabbed Devin's wrist as Devin swung down. Akira pulled Devin's wrist down and threw Devin to the ground. Devin scrambled back to his feet and swung furiously at Akira which Akira sidestepped. Finally, Akira kicked Devin in the hand, causing the sword to pop up. Akira caught it and gave Devin a swift smack with the butt of the sword between Devin's rib cage. Devin collapsed to the ground and gasped for his breath.  
Kenny and May glanced back and forth at each other completely mortified by what happened. Rally did feel sorry for Devin, in a sense, but also thought what happened to him was very humorous.  
Devin gasped harder as he started to turn purple. Akira tossed the sword to the side and pulled Devin up to a sitting position.  
"Just sit up straight and breathe deep. You'll be okay," Akira said while guiding Devin over to the side of the house.  
Devin laid back on the house for support as he gasped and choked for air. Akira stood up straight and looked at Rally who followed them. "Just give him a few minutes, and he'll be fine."  
"Alright." Rally said. "You sure he'll be okay?" She glanced down at the purple- faced Devin.  
"He'll be fine. It's happened to me plenty of times," Akira said.  
"Okay. I'll see you later."  
"Yes, I will see you later," Akira seriously said. He walked back into the house.  
Rally watched Akira leave then turned her attention back down to Devin once Akira was inside the house.  
  
Rally jerked her head up to keep herself from falling asleep. She watched the actors on stage for a few moments then glanced over to Devin.  
Devin's attention was on the play; however, he reached up and rubbed the spot where he was hit earlier. He took notice of Rally staring at him and looked over to her with a small smile.  
Rally faintly smiled back. She pondered over May's words. It was true. Devin was the only guy who really took any interest in her and suck around this long. Of course, many would come for her looks, yet all would leave after discovering her aggressive personality. Except, Devin didn't leave. Part of her hated that but a part of her didn't.  
Devin raised his right arm and threw it around Rally's shoulders. He then pulled her close to him, making her head rest against his shoulder.  
Rally glanced up at Devin. "What if he's the only one who ever takes notice of me? What if he's the only one who's really interested in me?" Rally wondered to herself.  
Devin glanced down at Rally and faintly smiled when his eyes locked with Rally's. "If you're tired and want to go to sleep, I won't mind," Devin whispered.  
"Thanks." Rally closed her eyes, feeling more relieved that she didn't have to watch the stupid play. She heard him slightly gasp in pain as he tried to breathe too deeply. "I just wish he wasn't so arrogant," Rally thought. "But I suppose I better find something I like about him."  
  
Devin pulled into Rally's driveway and shut the car off. He lifted his hands to his face and wiped his eyes. Rally opened her door and got out which prompted Devin to do the same. They walked on the sidewalk towards the front door together. Rally stepped up on the small cement platform while Devin turned around and flicked his cigarette butt into the yard.  
Rally yawned loudly. She looked at her watch. "Geeze, it's already one in the morning. Good thing I don't have to work tomorrow..."  
Devin turned back to Rally. "So, I guess we'll have to do this again sometime. How does Saturday look?"  
"Uh...Saturday..." Rally uttered. She tried to think of something else to do but nothing came to her mind. So she accepted her last resort. "Saturday's fine."  
"Good." Devin pulled out a cigar from his shirt pocket. "You want one?"  
"I don't smoke."  
"Oh." Devin lit his cigar. "Well, I'll see you later, Rally." Devin stepped down and walked along the sidewalk back to his car.  
Rally punched in the code number to the front door and opened the house. She tossed her accessory purse onto the small table in the hallway. Too tired to care, she kicked her shoes off at the base of the stairway and ran upstairs. She quietly walked into her room and turned on the light. Rally went straight to her dresser and pulled out a white tee-shirt and pair of grey, bed pants. She scrambled out of her dress and tossed it in the corner of her room in exchange for her pajamas. She groaned after throwing back her covers on her bed, realizing that she forgot to lock the kitchen door. And she surely knew that May wouldn't have done it.  
Rally quietly walked out of her room and headed down the end of the hallway. She took the stairs down that lead toward the kitchen. She felt her way around the dark kitchen. When she reached the stove, she turned on the small light above the oven and continued towards the kitchen door. Yawning, she quickly punched in the code to lock the door and turned to start heading back up the stairs.  
Rally stopped. She paused completely and listened closely to the darkness. She heard a noise. Glancing forward to her right, she realized that the noise was coming from Akira's room. She quiet stepped forward making her way to Akira's room. She found that Akira's door was cracked open. Peering in, she saw a silhouette of someone sitting on the bed caused by the streetlights. Not wanting to by nosy, Rally started to turn around but heard the noise again. Then she decided to see what was going on. She slowly opened the door and stepped in. She saw Akira sitting up on the side of his bed looking out the window.  
"Akira?"  
Akira said nothing.  
"Akira, are you okay?"  
The room was silent.  
Receiving no answer from Akira, Rally slowly stepped forward and walked around the edge of the bed. "Akira, what's wrong?" She stopped once she was around the edge of the bed.  
The black mask Akira wore over his face was completely wet and soggy. Drops of liquid dripped from it because it was soaked. He gasped deeply when he tried to breathe, almost being choked.  
Rally sat down on the bed next to him once she understood what was happening. "Akira, what's wrong? What's going on?" Rally asked, very concerned since Akira didn't appear to be the emotional, crying type.  
It almost sounded like Akira tried to say something, but again he choked on his tears and felt his throat swell as he tried to talk.  
"Akira?" Rally questioned again. "Did something happen? What's wrong? What happened to you?"  
Again, no words were able to leave Akira's mouth. He looked up towards Rally but turned his head away in shame.  
Not even thinking, Rally placed her hands on Akira's cheeks and lifted his head up, forcing Akira to look at her. She stared hard at Akira; however, she felt distanced and alienated by the black barrier between them. Surprising even herself, she found her hands sliding down Akira's face. Her fingers ran down his cheeks, down his neck, and paused at his collarbone. There at his collarbone, the edge of the mask that separated them, rested.  
Rally glanced up from her fingers towards Akira's face. She glanced back down to her fingers and gently touched the end of the black material. She slid her fingers under it and took a hold. She gently started to pull the mask up.  
Only moving the mask up a few millimeters, Rally was stopped by both of Akira's hands. He firmly grabbed a hold of Rally's wrists, physically communicating that he didn't want her to proceed.  
As she felt her wrists being firmly squeezed, disappointment and hurt washed over Rally's face. Her eyes glanced down, not wanting to look at Akira anymore. She felt as if Akira didn't trust her.  
Akira released his grip, seeing Rally's facial reaction. He unclasped his hands and slowly placed them over Rally's hands.  
Rally looked back up at him. Her face lightened once given permission by Akira. She took a deep breath as she started pulling the soggy, black mask upward again. Slowly his neck and chin were revealed. She paused a moment at the bottom of the nose. She had never seen past this point before. She took another deep breath and pressed forward. The mask ran up the bridge of his nose and nearing the top, a small scar appeared at the upper cheek. She slid the mask up over the eyes and saw them for the first time. As she gazed into his eyes for the first time, she felt a shiver run down her spine. Never in her life had she felt someone's humanity and weakness before. She stared into his deep, brown eyes as she removed the mask completely revealing wild locks of dark, black hair. She dropped her hands to the side and pulled her head back to assess the situation. Expecting May's idea of Akira being a warped mutant, Akira's face gave Rally quite a surprise. He was rugged and handsome. Surprising even herself, she reached up and placed her hands on his cheeks. She ran her left thumb over the large scar that tore vertically down his face. However, she couldn't break eye contact with him. He closed his dark, brown eyes and leaned forward, pressing his forehead against Rally's. Grieved with pain, more tears poured from his eyes. His tears fell onto Rally's face and trailed down her cheeks. He gently brushed his nose against her, leaning in more closely. Soon, he brushed his lips against hers. He paused for a moment, physically communicating that he didn't want to kiss her without permission.  
This would be her first kiss. It definitely was not the first time a man attempted to kiss her, and she would stop those attempts. However, she didn't find herself trying to stop it. Perhaps too caught up in the moment, she actually wanted it to happen. And of course, it did. He gently pressed his lips against hers. He pulled back in hesitation, and Rally, surprisingly, pushed forward with her lips capturing Akira's. They gently brushed against each other's face as they softly kissed for a few moments.  
Akira pulled away from Rally and took a deep breath. He breathed heavily and fell into Rally's embrace, resting his head on her shoulder. She could only manage to wrap her arms around him and hold him.  
  
Rally fluttered her eyelids open. She glanced around, not familiar with her surroundings. Seeing Akira on her right side, she quickly popped up and made sure she had her clothes on. Of course, she did, still wearing her tee-shirt and pajama pants. As she sat up, she looked down at Akira. His pillow and bedsheet surrounding him were soaked wet with tears.  
Rally blinked and took a deep breath. She studied Akira's newly revealed face as she turned on her side to face him. She felt her facial expression warm up as she looked down at the sleeping Akira. With her left hand, she gently brushed the dark locks of hair out of Akira's face. Gently, she ran the back of her fingers against his face for a few moments as his chest rose and fell with his heavy breathing. She glanced over at the clock and saw it was 5:47 in the morning. Reasoning that she should probably leave before Akira woke up, she slowly crawled off the bed and headed to the door. She slowly opened the door and stepped out. She turned around watching Akira as she gently closed the door. She sighed as she closed the door completely.  
"Ahem!"  
Rally's eyes bulged. She slowly turned around to see May standing right behind her with her arms crossed.  
"May, it's not..." Rally tried to explain while finding herself blushing madly.  
"Oh my God! You slept with Akira!" May's mouth hung wide open.  
"No! I would never!" Rally hissed.  
"Then what were you doing in there?" May exclaimed quietly.  
Rally put her hands up as if she was being accused. "Nothing happened! It's just very a long story!"  
May grabbed Rally's wrist and walked her over to the counter in the kitchen. She took a seat at the counter. "You have some explaining to do!"  
Rally took a seat across the counter from May. "Look, nothing happened! I don't see why I have to explain myself to you!"  
"Irene Vincent, you do have some explaining to do!"  
"I don't believe I do, Margaret May Hopkins!" Rally quietly hissed.  
May's eyes narrowed. "Tell me, Rally, or I'll be telling my version to all the neighbors."  
Rally sighed deeply. "Do you promise not to tell anyone else?"  
"I promise."  
Rally rubbed her forehead. "I came back from my date with Devin and I went straight to bed. But then I remembered I forgot to lock the kitchen door. I went down stairs and locked the door. Then I heard this noise..."  
"Noise?" May got up and grabbed a coffee cup for her freshly brewed coffee.  
"It was like a whimpering noise or something," Rally said. "So I saw that Akira's door was open. I peered in and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed. I went in and asked him what was going on, but he didn't answer."  
  
"What was wrong?" May poured Rally a cup of coffee.  
"He was crying."  
"Crying?"  
"Yeah," Rally uttered as she wrapped her cold hands around the warm coffee cup. "I don't know what about though."  
"So what happened?" May sat back down and took a drink of her coffee.  
Rally paused for a moment. She looked up at May with a serious look on her face. "I saw his face."  
May almost spit out her coffee but didn't. "You what?" May exclaimed a little too loud.  
"I saw his face."  
"I heard you!" May said, shocked. "What'd he look like?"  
"I don't know..." Rally fumbled.  
"Was he ugly?"  
"No."  
"Was he hot?"  
Rally paused.  
"Rally?"  
Rally dazed off for a moment as she pondered. "His eyes...so much pain..."  
"Hey, Rally!" May hissed.  
Rally shook her head and snapped out of her trance.  
"Was he hot?"  
"I don't know," Rally hissed. "I was a little preoccupied at the moment!"  
"With what?"  
Rally sighed deeply and closed her eyes. "May, I don't want to talk about it."  
"Tell me! Or else!"  
"Or else what?"  
May crossed her arms. "Or else I'll make up my own version..."  
"Fine!" Rally hissed. "He..."  
"He what?" May asked.  
"He...kissed me..."  
"WHAT!" May covered her mouth. "Why?"  
"I don't know." Rally glanced down to her folded hands on the counter. "He just did it. I don't know why. But I didn't want to stop him..."  
May slapped Rally on the cheek.  
Rally grabbed her cheek. "What was that for?" Rally angrily spat.  
"You have a boyfriend! You can't be going around kissing other guys!" May exclaimed. "Doesn't Devin mean anything to you?"  
Rally held her sore cheek. She glanced up at May with saddened eyes.  
"Oh, no!" May groaned. "You like him, don't you?" She asked, referring to Akira.  
"I don't know...I...just..."  
"Look, Rally! Devin has been faithful and has put up with a lot being your girlfriend. Devin is the guy for you! Don't let Akira break you two up!"  
"But May, I..."  
"But nothing! It was a fling! Flings happen! Just drop it!"  
Rally shook her head. "I suppose you're right, May."  
"I am right."  
  
Rally and May sat for a few minutes in silence as they drank their coffee. Rally continually kept her eye contact away from May considering the way May was making her feel guilty at the moment. May sat and pondered over all the ways she'd like to hurt Akira at the moment.  
Suddenly, the door to Akira's room opened. Akira walked out, and Rally and May turned to look. May's mouth fell open as she saw Akira without his mask for the first time. They only saw him for a few seconds because he headed straight for the downstairs bathroom.  
May looked back to Rally completely in shock. "I suppose he's not such a mutant after all..." May said, not really wanting to admit that she thought he was good-looking. "I wonder why he didn't put the mask back on."  
"I don't know." Rally uttered, staring at the floor. 


	11. Sniper Games

Episode Eleven

Sniper Games

"You've been doing sloppy work lately," The voice paused as his words cut into the one he was criticizing. "I expected better of you."

"But the task was accomplished!" The young man exclaimed.

"Yes, and with every law enforcement office sniffing close behind!"

"But…"

"Silence!" He paused for another moment. "I want the police off this case. And I want this case to be close. Our motifs were accomplished."

"Is that all?" Michelo burned with hidden anger.

"I want Rally Vincent…"

"The bounty hunter? What do you want with her?"

"Terminate her."

"I understand." The young nodded and turned around to walk out.

"Oh, and Michelo…"

Michelo Chariot turned around and peered into the darkness where the other man in the room sat.

"If you fail…" The sound of a gun cocking filled the silent darkness. "…there will be consequences."

Michelo peered into the darkness and stood still as he heard the gun. "I understand, Mr. Torrio."

"Good."

Michelo slowly turned around and walked out of the dark room.

Deep in the darkness of the room sat Johnny Torrio, the head Mafia boss of Chicago. Quite mysterious was the man who always sat in darkness just quietly stroking the scar across his cheek. Even more mysterious was the young girl who sat at his feet. The two sat together in the darkness for hours merely sitting in silence.

Feeling too hot indoors, Rally walked out onto the porch with her cup of coffee. She walked to the ledge and rested her elbows against it.

"Nice morning, isn't it?"

Rally jerked her head, almost choking on her coffee. She looked over to her right where Akira silently sat on the bench. "I didn't even notice you were there."

"That's my job."

Rally glanced back towards the horizon, not wanting to look at Akira. "Yeah, I suppose it is a nice morning. Well, I suppose I should head in…"

"You just got out here."

"Well, now I want to go back in."

"Why?"

Rally looked over at him. "Because I don't feel very comfortable right now," Rally truthfully answered.

"Why is that?"

"Because you've been living in _my_ house, and I don't even know you…"

"And I seem to have you figured out better than yourself."

"See! There you go again! You even know what I'm going to say before I…"

"…Even say it?" Akira questioned.

"Stop it!" Rally hissed.

Akira sighed. "What is this really about?"

Rally stared at him. "Who are you?"

Akira turned his head fully towards Rally so he could stare back at her. He remained in that position for a few moments then scooted over on the bench making a place for Rally. "Take a seat."

Rally reluctantly agreed and took a seat on the bench.

"What do you want to know?"

"First off…" Rally paused. "…what was wrong with you the other night?"

Akira looked out towards the sunrise. "I got a lot of problems. Sometimes they come back to haunt me."

"What in the heck is that supposed to mean?" Rally snapped. "Why don't you just cut through the crap and get straight to the point?"

Akira gave a small laugh. He took a deep breath. "Well, I suppose it all started when I was thirteen. I lived in Japan with my family in the mountains. Things were very isolated up there. We lived in a small community of about 100 people. Our house was about a mile away from the village. Both my parents were descendants of ninja clans. Therefore, me and my four sisters carried ninja blood."

"I don't understand what this all has to do with anything."

"You'll see," Akira said. "To help the family survive financially, my father used his skills to capture criminals to collect the bounty. Because of this occupation of my father's, the family got in trouble for it."

Rally took a slip of coffee.

"I was only thirteen when it happened." Akira looked down at his shoes. "I was sick that day so I was inside the house with my mother and baby sister. My other three sisters were outside with my father training as we were required everyday. My mother and I were talking then all the sudden, we heard gun shots. My mother told me to get in the trap door behind the kitchen door while she rushed to the window.

"Trap door?"

"All ninja house have trap doors and traps for easy entrance and escape."

"Oh."

"I did as she said but kept it open a crack to see what was going on. Then five men came into the kitchen carrying guns. My baby sister started to cry because of all the noise. One of the men got angry with her crying so he rushed over to her crib in the corner. My mother tried to block his way, but he clubbed her with his gun. She fell over, and the man went towards the crib…" Akira stopped.

"What?"

"He fired his gun and killed my sister. My mother jumped back up and started fighting the men. She was a ninja and all, but she wasn't able to take on the five men who were apparently trained fighters themselves. They beat her badly. They slammed her head into the table and clubbed her with their guns. After beating her they threw her to the ground." Akira bit his lip and paused, anguish washing over his face."

"What is it?"

"After that, they violated her for the next hour and in the meantime, I was too afraid to move. For the first time in my entire life, I saw my mother cry. She was always so strong and fiery, and then she was a broken woman. After they were finished with their sick torture, they shot her. Reality finally hit me. I felt a katana next to me that we left in the trap door. I grabbed it and charged out of the trap door. I sliced at them but some of them also had swords. He hit me and gave me this scar." Akira pointed to the large scar over his right eye. "Then one of them hit me with the butt of his rifle, and I passed out."

Rally felt extremely guilty for yelling at Akira earlier. "I'm sorry."

Akira looked down to his shoes then closed his eyes. "I woke up a few days later. There was blood everywhere. I ran outside and found my dad and three sisters dead too. I ran away from the house and never went back. For the next seven years, I wished I were dead too."

"What about now?"

"No, but sometimes I feel it."

"What changed you?"

"To be honest, only the grace of God."

Rally pondered for a moment. "What were their names?"

"My father's name was Eiji and my mother's name was Jun. My four younger sisters were Aya, Reiko, Sakura, and Kaori."

Rally glanced out towards the horizon. "I'm really sorry that happened to you."

"Ever since that day, I covered my face. I never wanted anyone to see me, I never wanted to love anyone ever again…"

"So why did you let me take your mask…"

Akira glanced up into Rally's eyes, which caused her to stop talking. She remained silent for a moment then started to feel uncomfortable with Akira's stare. "What?" She nervously asked.

Surprisingly, Akira leaned in and placed a light kiss on Rally's lips.

Finding the perfect time to interrupt, May flung the door wide-open and walked out onto the porch. "What a wonderful morning!" May exclaimed loudly.

Akira quickly pulled away from Rally and looked away.

Rally jumped up from the bench. "I better get inside. I need a shower." Rally rushed into the house.

May followed Rally into the house with her eyes then once Rally was in the house, May jerked her head towards Akira. "Don't like her, huh?"

Akira glanced up at May. "It's not like that…"

"Don't lie!" May hissed. "You want her!"

Akira turned his head away.

"Admit it!"

Akira took a deep breath. "I don't think it matters because I couldn't have her even if I wanted to..."

"That's right!" May interrupted.

Akira looked up at May to finish. "Nobody will ever have Rally. Rally is free to chose whomever she wants. Nobody can claim her or take her."

May snorted. "Well what makes you think she'd ever choose you?"

Akira looked away from May's smirk.

May's smirk grew wider. "That's what I thought." She walked into the house.

All dressed up, Rally and May walked towards the large ceremony in the middle of the park. Today was the graduation of the new cadets of the Police Academy. Akira and Kenny followed behind chatting among themselves while the girls looked around for Roy Coleman.

"Roy!" May exclaimed in a cute voice.

Roy turned around from talking with a group of the cadets. "May, Rally…"

Rally walked up with her usual grin. She shook Roy's hand and greeted him warmly. After all, they had a long history.

"How you doing, Ral?" Roy asked.

"Good. And you?"

"Great," Roy gasped with his usual cynical attitude. Roy released Rally's hand. "Who are these guys?"

May grabbed Kenny's arm and pulled him forward. "This is Kenny."

"Ah, the famous, Kenny. I've heard so much about you. May's told me so much that I think I even know your shoe size."

"What size?" Kenny asked while shaking Roy's hand.

"Ten and a half."

Kenny glanced at May. "You even told him my shoe size?"

May shrugged her shoulders and gave a cheap smile.

Roy glanced back at Akira. "And him?"

Akira looked up from his standoffish position.

"Uh…" Rally uttered. "This is Akira Shinagawa. He's been my partner on the Vanzetti case for a few months now."

"Oh, I see." Roy shook Akira hand then turned his attention back to Rally. "Uh, Devin told me that he wanted to see you before the ceremony started."

"Oh," Rally uttered.

"He's on stage."

"Okay."

Roy cleared his throat. "You know, he talks about you a lot."

"Really?" May exclaimed. "What does he say?"

Rally shot a dirty look at May.

"Well, I don't know if the details are important…" Roy nervously laughed, wished he would have kept his mouth shut.

"Spill them!" May hissed.

"Well, I overheard Devin talking to the other guys at the department, and he said that you and him…well…"

A bright red color flushed over Rally's face.

"Oooo! Rally! I had no idea!" May chorused. "It was about time!"

Rally turned even redder. "It's not true!" Rally burned with anger, and she stormed off towards the stage where Devin was.

As Rally took off, a figure in the crowd started to move just a few feet behind Rally. Akira looked up from his sullen posture of staring at the ground. He slipped off from the group and went his own way.

Rally stormed up the stairs and walked across the stage pushing security guards out of her way. "Devin!" Rally's voice shrilled.

Devin looked up from his paperwork at the podium and smirked. "Hey, babe."

"Don't you _babe_ me! What in the heck do you think you're doing?"

"What?" Devin looked surprised. He stepped away from the podium towards Rally. "What's wrong?"

"What's not wrong!" Rally hollered. She looked around for eavesdropping ears. "Have you been telling your friends that…" She whispered then looked around again. "…that you and I are…you know…"

"What?"

Rally groaned and looked around again. "Sleeping together?"

"Yeah."

"WHY?" Rally hollered. "It's not true!"

"Well, I figure since it'll probably happen soon, I could just start saying that it was happening."

Rally's anger flared. "Let me tell you something, it's not going to happen! So stop talking about it! I wouldn't even let it happen if you paid me!"

Devin placed his hands on Rally's tense shoulders. "You're right. I'm sorry."

"Well you better be!" Rally said, still ticked off but she started to calm down.

Devin gave a small smile. "That'll be your own decision in your own time."

"Good."

"Love ya, babe."

Rally cast a strange look at Devin. "Love?"

Suddenly, a bullet whizzed between Rally and Devin's heads. Devin, with his hands on Rally's shoulders, shoved Rally forward towards the crowd as he used the motion to help himself jump back behind the podium.

Rally's ankle twisted from the awkward push. As she started to fall, her eyes wracked over the crowd. There in the center of the crowd was a red-haired man with a black trench coat. In his hand was a small, machine-gun like handgun. He repeatedly fired the weapon while people tried to flee from the area.

"RALLY!"

Rally glanced up to her left as she was falling.

The first bullet pierced Akira in the shoulder as he threw himself in front of Rally. The second hit Akira's left arm. Two more bullets entered his stomach. The fifth and final bullet entered Akira's chest. He fell backwards from the force of the bullet.

"AKIRA!" Rally fell to the ground on her butt. Akira fell backward landing on her folded legs. Rally tried to sit up the best she could. She tried to lift Akira's upper body up as he gasped and choked for air.

"RALLY! ARE YOU OKAY!" May and Kenny ran up to the stage circled around Rally and Akira.

Rally supported Akira's upper body against hers. Akira gasped and choked for air as his eyes started to roll back into his head. She looked down at the blood that was gushing out of Akira's wounds. Soon she found herself sitting in the puddle of the blood as she tried to help Akira breathe. Rally shook her head as memories of her mother's death started to flood back in. "So much blood…so much…"

"Rally!" May hollered. "Snap out of it!"

"I…can't…breathe…" Tears leaked from Rally's eyes just before she fainted.

Rally sat in a catatonic position in the corner of the hospital room. She sat for hours in the vinyl chair watching Akira's chest rise and fall as he gasped for air.

May walked in with two cups of coffee. She stopped near the doorway and glanced over the room. She then stepped forward crossing Akira's bed and walked over to Rally. "I brought you something to drink."

Rally said nothing for a few moments. "Why would he do that?"

May sat down the coffee on the plant stand next to her. "Do what?"

"He wasn't even wearing Kevlar! Why would he do that? Why would he risk his life like that?"

May took a deep breath. As much as she hated to admit it, she knew it was true. "He loves you, Rally."

Rally looked up at May. "What is love?"

"What do you mean by that? You know what love is."

"Devin said he loved me. What does that mean? You say Akira loves me. What does that mean?"

May rested her hand on Rally's shoulder. "Rally, that's something you're going to have to figure out yourself. I know I've pushed you into things, and I'm sorry. But this is something I can't choose for you." May picked up one of the coffee cups and walked out.

Rally sighed and sunk her head down. She pondered for a few moments then finally stood up from the chair. She walked to the edge of the bed and glanced over Akira's wrapped wounds. She then looked over to the vitals, which didn't look so good then turned back. She closed her eyes to try to escape reality; however, the beeping from Akira's pulse on the machine wouldn't let her. Rally opened her eyes again and tears leaked from her eyes when Akira gasped heavily for air. "Why would you risk your own life to save mine?" She asked aloud while staring over the unconscious Akira.

As she heard the beeping from the pulse drop to less frequent intervals, she took a deep breath and kneeled down at the side of the bed. She took another deep breath as she prepared to do something she hadn't done since she was a little girl. Rally folded her hands together and closed her eyes. She started to pray.

May yawned as she walked down the hallway. She decided that she should probably head home with Kenny since he was already asleep in the lobby. She walked towards Akira's room and stopped in the doorway. "Rally," May uttered as she saw Rally silently kneeling at Akira's side.

Michelo looked down at his shoes as the silence went on. Sometimes dead silence was worst than being screamed at he reasoned as he stood there. The first sound that came to his ears was a cocking of a gun.

Michelo looked up. "Mr. Torrio, let me explain…"

The gun fired and Michelo fell straight to the ground after being shot in the head right between the eyebrows. "No explanation necessary." A voice spoke in the darkness.

A small feminine chuckle filled the air a few seconds later. Footsteps struck across the marble floor. A figure walked into what little light was in the room. The female was young and beautiful with long locks of ebony-black hair and smooth, fair skin. She dressed in black leather and carried a pistol on her hip and a motorcycle helmet in her arm. "About time you did that, daddy. He was really getting on my nerves."

"Come here, Gabriella."

The young girl laid her helmet down on the ground and approached, stepping over Michelo's dead body. "Yes, daddy?"

"Come sit with me. We'll play chess."


End file.
